PSYC 2440 D01: BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION PRINCIPLES

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
FALL 2022 SYLLABUS

Professor: Dr. Jennifer Cook

Office: P436 Duff Roblin
Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:30 to 12:30 (phone or in-person),
Or by appointment (phone, in-person, or virtual)
Phone: 204-474-7422
Email: jennifer.cook@umanitoba.ca
Please start subject line with “PSYC 2440 DISTANCE”
I will respond within 24-48 hours during the workweek (i.e., 8am-4pm, M-F);
that is, if you e-mail at 3pm on Friday, I will respond by 3 pm on Tuesday

Prerequisite: PSYC YR 2 (Grade of C or better in PSYC 1200, or PSYC 1211 and 1221)
Equivalent to PSYC 2441 (credit only for PSYC 2440 or PSYC 2441)

Required Textbook
Miltenberger, R. G. (2016). Behavior modification: Principles and procedures (6th ed.). Cengage.

Required Readings (Provided in UM Learn)

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Chapter 1: Definitions and Characteristics of
Applied Behavior Analysis. In Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Sundberg, M. L., & Michael, J. (2001). The benefits of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior for
children with autism. Behavior modification, 25(5), 698-724.

Ingvarsson, E. T. (2016). Tutorial: Teaching verbal behavior to children with ASD. International
Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 9(2), 433-450.

Supplemental Reading (Provided in UM Learn)

Walters, K., & Thomson, K. (2013). The history of behavior analysis in Manitoba: A sparsely
populated Canadian province with an international influence on behavior analysis. The
Behavior Analyst, 36(1), 57-72. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392292

Course Description
This course provides the student with an introduction to the concepts and principles of
Behaviour Analysis. This course covers basic behavioural principles and then discusses
behavioural procedures with an emphasis on the principles underlying each procedure.

Course Goals
After the course, students will be able to:
• Identify, explain, and understand how to apply basic behaviour analytic principles
• Describe behaviour change procedures and their relationship to basic behavioural
principles
• Describe the concepts and principles underlying the functional model of intervention
selection and application
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:
• Define and describe the philosophical underpinnings of behaviour analysis, including:
the science, the philosophical assumptions, the branches and domains, and the
dimensions as an applied science
• Describe the history of behaviour analysis, and the current aspects common to
professional practice
• Identify and describe the basic principles and concepts involved in respondent and
operant conditioning
• Identify and describe application of principles in behavioural procedures within the
framework of functional assessment and treatment

Online Material
No audio or video recording is allowed in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or in
part without my permission. Course materials (both paper and digital) are for the participant’s
private study and research.

Academic Integrity
Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Manitoba Academic Integrity
Principles. Always remember to reference the work of others that you have used. Also be advised
that you are required to complete your assignments independently unless otherwise specified. If
you are encouraged to work in a team, ensure that your project complies with the academic
integrity regulations. You must do your own work during exams. Inappropriate collaborative
behavior and violation of other Academic Integrity principles, will lead to the serious disciplinary
action. Visit the Academic Calendar, Student Advocacy, and Academic Integrity web pages for
more information and support.

Taking the Final Exam

Students living in Winnipeg or within a two-hour drive of Winnipeg will write their final exams
on-campus at the University of Manitoba (UM) Fort Garry Campus.
Exam dates are scheduled during the University of Manitoba Final Examination Period by the
Registrar’s Office. Refer to the University of Manitoba Examination Schedule for exam dates,
regulations, academic integrity policies and other information relating to exams. Room and
seating locations are set according to the University of Manitoba Examination Schedule.

Students who live more than two (2) hours outside Winnipeg will write their exams off-campus.
Off-campus students must declare their off-campus exam location for each course. Further
instructions on how to do this will be provided to students early in the semester. Students writing
their exams off-campus will be assigned a date and time for their exams within the term’s exam
period. Please note, this may not be on the same day and time as the on-campus exams.
Summative Assessment Weighting
A. Practice Tests 10%
B. Reading Quizzes 30%
C. Final Exam 60%
D. Extra Credit 2%
A. Practice Tests. For the first unit (Cooper chapter) and the Verbal Behaviour unit, a practice
test will be available to download from the module in UM Learn. The remaining practice
tests in the Miltenberger text are found at the back of each chapter. These are open-book
assignments, with answers provided within the corresponding reading. Each week, you will
be required to submit word documents (one for each practice test) which provides the
answers to the practice test questions for the required readings from the week. You will not
be graded on the quality of your responses, but simply that you completed the practice
tests. The practice tests assignments are designed to guide you to a) engage with the
readings in a meaningful way, and b) focus on the salient information that you may later be
tested on (quizzes and final exam). In sum, the practice tests are your study guides!
B. Quizzes. Each week, you will be required to complete the reading quizzes for the assigned
chapters. The quizzes will be comprised of some of the questions taken from the quiz
questions at the end of the Miltenberger textbook (these are different than the practice
tests at the end of each chapter). Each chapter has three corresponding quizzes. You should
fill out the answers to these quizzes in advance of taking the online quiz. The online quiz will
be open book, but it will be timed. If you have prepared your answers in advance, you
should have no problem completing the quiz within the timeframe because you can copy
from your prepared answers. If you have not prepared your answers in advance, you may
run out of time because you may find yourself searching through the book. You will only be
given points for the questions that you complete before the quiz ends.
C. Final Exam: There will be one final exam, which may consist of a multiple-choice, fill-in-the-
blank, matching, and short-answer question format. The final exam will cover information
from the assigned readings throughout the course, with a focus on the content from the
practice tests and reading quizzes. See the above section titled “Taking the Final Exam.”
D. Extra credit. You may elect to earn 2% extra credit by completing an assignment on
subspecialties in ABA. To be eligible, you will need to select one subspecialty video from
several options, and develop a 5 quiz questions (and the corresponding answers) based on
that video, which will be submitted to me. Next, you will be assigned a different
subspecialty video to watch and answer peers’ questions about that video. You will be able
to access the video while completing the questions. If you would like to elect for this extra
credit assignment, you will need to submit your questions for your first video by Nov 14th.
Your peer questions will be assigned thereafter.
Grading Scale
Letter Grade Percentage Range Qualitative Description
A+ 95 – 100 Exceptional
A 85 – 94.9 Excellent
B+ 79 – 84.9 Very Good
B 72 – 78.9 Good
C+ 66 – 71.9 Satisfactory
C 60 – 65.9 Adequate
D 50 – 59.9 Needs Improvement
F 0 – 49.9 Fail

Re-grade Policy
If you think a test or quiz item has been graded inaccurately, you can ask that the item be re-
graded. Re-grade requests must be made to me within 1 week of when the exam or quiz in
question is returned.

Letters of Recommendation
Students looking for a letter of recommendation for future employment and/or graduate
school should not only perform at the top of the class (A+), but should perform with academic
integrity and engage in ethical learning practices (e.g., submitting on time, engaging with other
students and the professor in a respectful manner) throughout the entire course.

Changes to Syllabus
If necessary, some components of this syllabus may change. However, any such changes will be
announced to the students in class and posted on UM Learn.

University Support Offices & Policies

*For 24/7 mental health support, contact the Mobile Crisis Service at 204-940-1781.
Student Accessibility Services
The University of Manitoba is committed to providing an accessible academic community.
Students Accessibility Services (SAS) offers academic accommodation supports and services such
as note-taking, interpreting, assistive technology and exam accommodations. Students who
have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. mental illness, learning, medical, hearing, injury-
related, visual) are invited to contact SAS to arrange a confidential consultation.
Student Accessibility Services
520 University Centre
Phone: (204) 474-7423
Email: student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca

Student Counselling Centre

Contact SCC if you are concerned about any aspect of your mental health, including anxiety,
stress, or depression, or for help with relationships or other life concerns. SCC offers crisis
services as well as individual, couple, and group counselling.
Student Counselling Centre:
http://umanitoba.ca/student/counselling/index.html
474 University Centre or S207 Medical Services
(204) 474-8592

Student Support Case Management

Contact the Student Support Case Management team if you are concerned about yourself or
another student and don’t know where to turn. SSCM helps connect students with on and off
campus resources, provides safety planning, and offers other supports, including consultation,
educational workshops, and referral to the STATIS threat assessment team.
Student Support Intake Assistant:
http://umanitoba.ca/student/case-manager/index.html
520 University Centre
(204) 474-7423

University Health Service

Contact UHS for any medical concerns, including mental health problems. UHS offers a full
range of medical services to students, including psychiatric consultation.
University Health Service:
http://umanitoba.ca/student/health/
104 University Centre, Fort Garry Campus
(204) 474-8411 (Business hours or after hours/urgent calls)

Health and Wellness

Contact our Health and Wellness Educator if you are interested in peer support from Healthy U
or information on a broad range of health topics, including physical and mental health
concerns, alcohol and substance use harms, and sexual assault.
Health and Wellness Educator:
https://umanitoba.ca/student/health-wellness/welcome-about.html
britt.harvey@umanitoba.ca

Live Well @ UofM

For comprehensive information about the full range of health and wellness resources available
on campus, visit the Live Well @ UofM site:
http://umanitoba.ca/student/livewell/index.html

Your Rights and Responsibilities

As a student of the University of Manitoba you have rights and responsibilities. It is important
for you to know what you can expect from the University as a student and to understand what
the University expects from you. Become familiar with the policies and procedures of the
University and the regulations that are specific to your faculty, college or school.
The Academic Calendar http://umanitoba.ca/student/records/academiccalendar.html is one
important source of information. View the sections University Policies and Procedures and
General Academic Regulations.
While all of the information contained in these two sections is important, the following
information is highlighted.
• If you have questions about your grades, talk to your instructor. There is a process for
term work and final grade appeals. Note that you have the right to access your final
 examination scripts. See the Registrar’s Office website for more information including
appeal deadline dates and the appeal form http://umanitoba.ca/registrar/
• You are expected to view the General Academic Regulation section within the Academic
Calendar and specifically read the Academic Integrity regulation. Consult the course
syllabus or ask your instructor for additional information about demonstrating academic
integrity in your academic work. Visit the Academic Integrity Site for tools and support
http://umanitoba.ca/academicintegrity/ View the Student Academic Misconduct
procedure for more information.
• The University is committed to a respectful work and learning environment. You have the
right to be treated with respect and you are expected conduct yourself in an
appropriate respectful manner. Policies governing behaviour include the:
Respectful Work and Learning Environment
http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/230.html
Student Discipline
http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/students/student_disci
pline.html and,
Violent or Threatening Behaviour
http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/669.html
• If you experience Sexual Assault or know a member of the University community who
has, it is important to know there is a policy that provides information about the
supports available to those who disclose and outlines a process for reporting. The
Sexual Assault policy may be found at:
http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/230.html
More information and resources can be found by reviewing the Sexual Assault site
http://umanitoba.ca/student/sexual-assault/
• For information about rights and responsibilities regarding Intellectual Property view
the policy https://umanitoba.ca/governance/sites/governance/files/2021-
06/Intellectual Property Policy - 2013_10_01 RF.pdf
For information on regulations that are specific to your academic program, read the section in
the Academic Calendar and on the respective faculty/college/school web site
http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/
Course Schedule
Due Date (11:59 pm) Unit Readings
Overview Syllabus
Tues Sep 13
Definition & Characteristics of ABA Ch 1 (Cooper et al.)
Introduction to Behaviour Modification Ch 1 (Miltenberger)
Tues Sep 20
Observing & Recording Behaviour Ch 2
Graphing & Measuring Change Ch 3
Tues Sep 27
Respondent Conditioning Ch 8
Reinforcement Ch 4
Tues Oct 4
Extinction Ch 5
Punishment Ch 6
Tues Oct 11
Stimulus Control Ch 7
Shaping Ch 9
Tues Oct 18
Prompting Ch 10
Chaining Ch 11
Tues Oct 25
Behavioural Skills Training Ch 12
Tues Nov 1 Functional Assessment Ch 13
Tues Nov 8 NO CLASS (Fall Break) n/a
Using Extinction Ch 14
Tues Nov 15
Differential Reinforcement Ch 15
Tues Nov 22 Antecedent Control Procedures Ch 16
Negative Punishment Ch 17
Tues Nov 29
Positive Punishment Ch 18
Generalization Ch 19
Tues Dec 6 Sundberg & Michael (2001)
Verbal Behaviour
Ingvarsson (2016)
Mon Dec 12 (last day) STUDY!
Date TBD (Dec 13-23) FINAL EXAM