Behavior Change Procedures
Expert-defined terms from the Professional Certificate in Understanding Behavior Analysis course at London School of Business and Administration. Free to read, free to share, paired with a globally recognised certification pathway.
**Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) #
** A scientific approach to understanding and improving behavior. ABA focuses on objectively defined, observable behaviors and the environmental events that influence those behaviors. ABA is used to address a wide range of behavioral issues, including those related to developmental disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse.
**Antecedent #
** An event or situation that occurs before a behavior and sets the occasion for that behavior to occur. Antecedents can include things like instructions, requests, or changes in the environment.
**Behavior #
** Any observable action or response of a living organism. Behavior can be voluntary or involuntary, and can take many forms, including verbal behavior, physical movement, and emotional expression.
**Challenging behavior #
** Behavior that interferes with a person's ability to function and participate in their daily activities. Challenging behaviors can include aggression, self-injury, and property destruction.
**Consequence #
** The event or situation that follows a behavior and affects the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. Consequences can be positive (resulting in an increase in the behavior) or negative (resulting in a decrease in the behavior).
**Contingency #
** The relationship between a behavior and its consequence. A contingency exists when the consequence of a behavior depends on whether or not the behavior occurs.
**Discrimination #
** The ability to distinguish between different antecedents or situations and respond differently to each. For example, a child may discriminate between the command "sit" and the command "stand" and respond appropriately to each.
**Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) #
** A process used to understand the cause or purpose of challenging behavior. FBA involves observing and analyzing the behavior in different situations and gathering information about the events that precede and follow the behavior.
**Generalization #
** The ability to apply a learned behavior to new situations or stimuli. For example, a child who has learned to read may be able to read new books that they have never seen before.
**Motivating Operation (MO) #
** An event or situation that affects the value of a consequence and influences the likelihood of a behavior occurring. For example, a person who is hungry may be more motivated to work for food.
**Operant Conditioning #
** A type of learning in which behavior is modified by its consequences. Operant conditioning involves the use of reinforcement and punishment to increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring.
**Positive Reinforcement #
** The presentation of a desirable consequence following a behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.
**Punishment #
** The presentation of an aversive consequence following a behavior, which decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.
**Reinforcement #
** Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future.
**Response #
** An observable action or behavior.
**Shaping #
** The process of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior until the final behavior is achieved.
**Stimulus #
** Any event or situation that elicits a response.
**Token Economy #
** A system in which tokens are given as reinforcement for desired behaviors and can be exchanged for rewards.
**Verbal Behavior #
** The use of language to communicate. Verbal behavior includes things like requests, statements, and answers to questions.
**Withdrawal of Reinforcement #
** The removal of a reinforcer following a behavior, which decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.