Fundamentals of Behavior Analysis

Class Structure 1) Nonhumans2) Experimental details3) Inductive Approach (vs. deductive) a) Not why instead use UWC 4) Ultimate Causes (vs. proximal) a) Found in the environment (external) 5) Strict Language a) No anthropomorphization b) No reifying constructs Fundamentals of Behavior Analysis 1) Observable behavior (B) a) Overt: easier to observe vs. covert: harder to observe i) A person having a headache 2) Environment (external causes)3) Objectivity4) Empirical: data driven a) “We don't know it unless the data show it” ➔ Observations ◆ Aware of level of control◆ Clear identification of what we’re observing ◆ Operational definition◆ Measureable ◆ Unbias ◆ Access to the behavior: can the observer see the behavior clearly ◆ Reliability/multiple observers ● Automate as much as possible ➔ 2 categories of observations ◆ Elements of the organism’s environment = stimuli ◆ Elements of organism’s behavior = Response◆ Functional relation: environment and behavior ● Stimulus can happen after the response, known as consequential stimulus ➔ Operations (IV) ◆ What the researcher does / manipulates ➔ Processes (DV) ◆ Changes in the organism’s behavior 6 Fundamental Operations 1) Observing behavior/Simple Observation a) Controlled environment b) Obs. R to S

c) Kohler - chimpanzees had to obtain fruit in a room full of obstacles 2) Presenting Stimuli a) Introduce a stimulus to see a responseb) Tinbergen - Created different variations of the beaks to see pecking behavior of the chicks 3) Arranging Cs/Consequential Ops. a) R -> Cb) Thorndike - cats c) R: String pull -> S: food 4) Signaling Stimulus Presentations a) S1 -> Rb) S2 -> Rc) Pavlov’s dog 5) Signaling Consequences a) Stimulus acts as a signal to initiate the response that produces a consequence b) 3 term contingency c) Skinner - Rat 6) Establishing Operations a) Change the effectiveness of a consequence i) Deprivation ii) Thirst b) Change the priorities in a predictable way Evolution ➔ Natural Selection ◆ Variation◆ Environmental demand ◆ Reproduction (Repetition) Biology vs. Learning (parallel processes) ➔ Nature vs Nurture (both) ➔ Phylogenetic (species) vs Ontogenetic (Organism) Primitive Behavior (w/o Learning) ➔ Kinesis - Non directional movement in response to a specific stimulus ◆ A fish out of water ➔ Taxis - Directional movement in response to a specific stimulus ◆ Sunflowers reaching towards the sun Reflex ➔ S -> R (elicit) ➔ Babinski reflex ➔ Hitting knee ➔ Blinking when there's something in your eye ➔ Stimulus - the size has to reach a certain threshold

◆ Duration of Response ◆ Magnitude of Response◆ Latency: Time between stimulus and response◆ Long duration + Long magnitude + Short Latency = Strong◆ Short duration + small magnitude + long latency = weak Successive Elicitations 1) When there is a repeated stimulus to elicit a response then it can reduce the response. a) Habituation 2) When there is a repeated stimulus and the response increases a) Potentiation 3) The stimulus does not elicit a response the first few times but later it does a) Summation Law of Exercise When you practice a reflex, the response part of the reflex will happen spontaneously Imprinting ➔ S -> R -> C ◆ Mom is the stimulus and the bird starts following ➔ Petersen ◆ Large box with mom duck and baby duck divided with a plexi glass ◆ Light bulb on mom duck side ◆ The light bulb goes out then baby duck accidentally finds the light ◆