Behavior Modification II:

ABC Complexities
Lesson 7
ABCs of Behavior
Antecedents
Occur before behavior
Cue, setting, context
Behavior
Individuals action
Perform or withhold
Consequences
Events that follow behavior
Increases, decreases, or no effect
on behavior ~

Contingencies of Reinforcement
Contingency
Relationship of ABCs
One event depends on another
Behavior contingent on
Antecedents
Consequences
i.e., controlling variables
Complex contingencies
Multiple A, B, and/or Cs ~
Contingencies of Reinforcement
Contingency
Relationship of ABCs
One event depends on another
Behavior contingent on
Antecedents
Consequences
i.e., controlling variables
Complex contingencies
Multiple A, B, and/or Cs ~
Complex Contingencies
Example: SIB; Answering door
ABCs?
Alternate
antecedents?
behaviors?
consequences?
Importance of functional analysis
May require different treatment ~

Complex Contingencies
Example: smoking
ABCs?
Alternate
antecedents?
behaviors?
consequences? ~

Types of Antecedents
Two main categories
Prerequisites
Stimulus control
Prerequisites
knowledge
skills
resources ~
Antecedents: Stimulus Control
Stimulus Control
Discriminative stimuli
Prompts
Setting events
Discriminative stimuli (S
D
/ S

)
Signal that indicates likely outcome
RFT or punishment
Traffic light; fire alarm; out of order sign
Stimulus control: S
D
vs S

~
Antecedents: Prompts
Specific event
Directly facilitates performance
Instructions, examples, modeling
Examples
teaching computer program
Experimental procedures ~

Antecedents: Prompts
Instructions/Requests
High vs low probability
High then Low compliance
Holding still during medical
procedure
Fading
Gradual removal of prompts
All or some ~
Antecedents: Setting Events
Context, conditions
indirect effects
Motivational; emotional state
Get fired; get a raise
Establishing operation
(type of setting event)
alters effectiveness of consequences
Influences frequency of behavior
Deprivation vs. satiation ~
Behaviors
Target behaviors
To increase or decrease
Shaping
Successive approximations
Chaining
Behaviors sequence of responses
Break into individual responses
Forward chaining
Backward chaining ~
Behaviors: Chaining
Forward chaining
Start w/ first behavior in sequence
e.g., injections, SPSS
Backward chaining
Start w/ last behavior in sequence
e.g.; learning to put on shirt
Immediate RFT of completed behavior
Needs no explanation of relationships
between steps ~
Consequences
Reinforcement
Positive & negative
Strengthen behavior
Punishment
Positive & negative
weaken behavior
Extinction
Absence of S
R

reverses behavioral change ~
Generalization & Discrimination
Stimulus S
D
(S
+
)
Generalization & discrimination
Response Generalization
Changes in behaviors other than
target behaviors
smiling laughing & talking
Physical punishment of B
social behavior; hostility
Response covariation
Clusters of Bs change together ~
Complexities of Behavior Modification
Require
Careful analysis
Different treatments
Consideration of unintended
changes in behavior
Importance of detailed functional
analysis ~