Key Concepts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Question 1

What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

Answer 1

The branch of behavior analysis that applies principles to solve practical problems and improve socially significant behaviors in various contexts, such as increasing productivity or enhancing quality of life.

Use this term to remember the ‘applied’ side—solving real-world problems using behavior science.

Question 2

What is behavior?

Answer 2

Everything an organism does, including both overt actions and covert processes like thinking.

In psych, behavior includes anything observable or not—like talking or thinking.

Question 3

What is Behavior Analysis?

Answer 3

The scientific study of behavior, including its principles, processes, and applications, with a focus on understanding and improving behavior.

This is the field—studying behavior patterns to understand and improve them.

Question 4

What is Behaviorism?

Answer 4

A term that refers to the scientific philosophy of behavior analysis.

Think of it as the philosophy behind behavior science—what we can see and measure matters most.

Question 5

What does ‘conditioned’ mean?

Answer 5

A naturally occurring reflexive behavioral response previously in an organism’s repertoire that comes under the control of a stimulus.

Conditioned = learned. Think of Pavlov’s dog learning that a bell means food.

Question 6

What is Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)?

Answer 6

A scientific method designed to discover the functional relation between behavior and the variables that control it.

This is the lab science part of behavior analysis—tight control, discovery.

Question 7

What is learning?

Answer 7

The acquisition, maintenance, and change of an organism’s behavior as a result of lifetime events.

Learning changes behavior—use this to track growth or therapy progress.

Question 8

What is operant behavior?

Answer 8

Behavior that operates on the environment to produce a change, effect, or consequence.

Operant = active. The learner does something to get a result.

Question 9

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 9

A type of learning where behavior is controlled by its consequences, such as reinforcement or punishment, which influences the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

Think of operant like ‘operator’—you operate on the environment to get results.

Question 10

What is private behavior?

Answer 10

Behavior that is only accessible to the person who emits it.

Private means internal—like thoughts or feelings, only the person can observe them.

Question 11

What is a reflex?

Answer 11

When an unconditioned stimulus elicits an unconditioned response (US -> UR), the relationship is called a reflex.

Think knee-jerk—automatic, unlearned response.

Question 12

What is respondent behavior?

Answer 12

Behavior that is elicited by a specific stimulus.

This is involuntary behavior—triggered by something, like fear from a loud noise.

Question 13

What is respondent conditioning?

Answer 13

Occurs when an organism responds to a new event based on a history of pairing with a biologically important stimulus.

Associate two stimuli—like lightning and thunder making someone flinch at just lightning.

Question 14

What does ‘selection by consequences’ mean?

Answer 14

The principle that behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences, affecting future behavior patterns.

Behaviors survive like species—only useful ones stick around.

Question 15

What is trial-and-error learning?

Answer 15

A term coined by Thorndike to describe results from his puzzle box and maze learning experiments.

Like figuring out a puzzle—you learn by trying and seeing what works.

Question 16

What is A-B-A-B reversal design?

Answer 16

The most basic single-subject research design, illustrating how specific features of the environment regulate an organism’s behavior.

Think baseline-treatment-baseline-treatment—used to show if intervention works.

Question 17

What is a baseline in an experiment?

Answer 17

The phase of an experiment or intervention in which the behavior is measured in the absence of an intervention.

Think of it as the ‘before’ picture in an experiment—no treatment yet.

Question 18

What is the contingency of reinforcement?

Answer 18

The relationship between the occasion, the operant class, and the consequences that follow the behavior.

If-then statement: if behavior, then consequence.

Question 19

What is the three-term contingency?

Answer 19

The basic unit of analysis in behavior analysis, consisting of three components: the Discriminative Stimulus (SD), the Behavior (R), and the Consequence (Sr).

SD → behavior → consequence. Classic behavior chain.

Question 20

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 20

The variable that is measured in an experiment, commonly called an effect.

What you measure—did the behavior change?

Question 21

What is a discriminative stimulus (SD)?

Answer 21

An event or stimulus that precedes an operant and sets the occasion for operant behavior.

It signals when a behavior will lead to reinforcement, like a green light tells you to go.

Question 22

What does ‘emitted’ mean in behavior?

Answer 22

A term used to describe operant behavior that occurs at some probability in the presence of a discriminative stimulus (SD) but is not directly triggered or forced by it.

Emitted = voluntary behavior that ‘comes out’ without being forced.

Question 23

What is the environment in behavior analysis?

Answer 23

All of the events and stimuli that affect the behavior of an organism, including events ‘inside the skin’ like thinking, hormonal changes, and pain stimulation.

Environment includes inner and outer experiences affecting behavior.

Question 24

What is an establishing operation?

Answer 24

Any change in the environment that alters the effectiveness of some stimulus or event as reinforcement and simultaneously alters the momentary frequency of the behavior that has been followed by that reinforcement.

Changes what we want—like thirst making water more reinforcing.

Question 25

What does generality mean in experiments?

Answer 25

Term used to describe when the results of an experiment are observable in different environments, organisms, etc. ## Footnote Results apply to new places, people, or times—key for treatment effectiveness.

Question 26

What is the history of reinforcement?

Answer 26

Reinforcement contingencies that an organism has been exposed to during its lifetime, including changes in behavior due to such exposure. ## Footnote Your behavioral past shapes how you act now.

Question 27

What is an independent variable?

Answer 27

Variable that is manipulated, changed, or controlled in an experiment, commonly called a cause. ## Footnote The intervention or change you make to test effects.

Question 28

What is a negative reinforcer?

Answer 28

Any event or stimulus that increases the probability of an operant when it is removed. ## Footnote It removes something bad—like stopping a noise when you act.

Question 29

What is a positive reinforcer?

Answer 29

Any stimulus or event that increases the probability of an operant when it is added. ## Footnote Adds something good—like praise after effort.

Question 30

What is a response class?

Answer 30

All forms of performance that have a similar function. ## Footnote Different actions with the same outcome—like waving or saying hi to greet.

Question 31

What is steady-state performance?

Answer 31

Behavior that is stable in the sense that it does not change over time. ## Footnote When behavior is consistent, it’s ready for data collection.

Question 32

What is a stimulus class?

Answer 32

Stimuli that vary across physical dimensions but have a common effect on behavior. ## Footnote Different things that trigger the same behavior—like many phones making you answer.

Question 33

What is trend in baseline data?

Answer 33

A relatively consistent change in a data set in a single direction. ## Footnote Look for consistent up or down direction in the data.

Question 34

What is backward conditioning?

Answer 34

Respondent conditioning where the CS follows rather than precedes the US. ## Footnote US comes before CS—less effective learning pattern.

Question 35

What is a conditioned stimulus?

Answer 35

An arbitrary stimulus associated with an unconditioned stimulus that elicits reflexive behavior. ## Footnote A learned trigger—like the school bell means class change.

Question 36

What is delayed conditioning?

Answer 36

A respondent conditioning procedure in which the CS is presented a few seconds before the US occurs. ## Footnote The CS appears just before the US—best way to learn.

Question 37

What does 'elicited' mean?

Answer 37

Respondent (CR) or reflexive (UR) behavior is said to be elicited in the sense that it is forced by the presentation of a stimulus (CS or US). ## Footnote Pulled out behavior—automatic, like a blink.

Question 38

What is habituation?

Answer 38

When a US repeatedly elicits an UR, the repeated presentation of the US produces a gradual decline in the magnitude of the UR. ## Footnote Your brain stops reacting to a ticking clock—no longer a novel stimulus.

Question 39

What is ontogenetic behavior?

Answer 39

Behavior due to events that occur over the lifetime of an individual, contributing to unique behavior. ## Footnote Learning shaped by your personal life history.

Question 40

What is phylogenetic behavior?

Answer 40

Behavior relations based on the genetic endowment of an organism, present due to species history. ## Footnote Instinctual behaviors from evolutionary history.

Question 41

What is respondent acquisition?

Answer 41

The procedure of pairing the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus over trials when respondent level for the CS is near zero. ## Footnote Learning to associate new cues with old reflexes.

Question 42

What is respondent discrimination?

Answer 42

Occurs when an organism shows a conditioned response to one stimulus but not to other similar events. ## Footnote Can tell the difference between two similar triggers.

Question 43

What is respondent extinction?

Answer 43

The procedure of presenting the CS without the US after conditioning has occurred. ## Footnote The response fades when the cue stops being paired.

Question 44

What is respondent generalization?

Answer 44

Occurs when an organism shows a conditioned response to values of the CS that have not been specifically trained. ## Footnote A response spreads to similar but new cues.

Question 45

What is the respondent level?

Answer 45

The magnitude of the CR before any conditioning has taken place. ## Footnote Baseline of how much a stimulus triggers a response.

Question 46

What is second-order conditioning?

Answer 46

Involves pairing two CSs (CS1 + CS2), rather than a CS and US (CS + US). ## Footnote Learning by linking a new cue to a learned one.

Question 47

What is simultaneous conditioning?

Answer 47

A respondent conditioning procedure where the CS and US are presented at the same moment. ## Footnote CS and US happen together—not as effective.

Question 48

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 48

(Operant) After a period of extinction, an organism's rate of response may approach operant level. ## Footnote After extinction, the behavior suddenly reappears.

Question 49

What is trace conditioning?

Answer 49

A respondent conditioning procedure where the CS is presented for a brief period, followed by the US after some time passes. ## Footnote The CS ends before the US starts—requires memory.

Question 50

What is an unconditioned response?

Answer 50

Behavior elicited by the US, which is invariant and biologically based. ## Footnote Built-in reaction—like pulling away from heat.

Question 51

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 51

The eliciting event in a reflex, which can be any environmental stimulus that produces an automatic response. ## Footnote Something that naturally triggers a reflex—like food.

Question 52

What does US -> UR represent?

Answer 52

The relationship describing a reflex, where an unconditioned stimulus elicits an unconditioned response. ## Footnote This is the reflex link—no learning required.

Question 53

What is functional analysis?

Answer 53

A standard assessment tool in applied behavior analysis (ABA) research that helps identify the causes and consequences of behavior. ## Footnote Used to figure out what maintains a behavior—essential in ABA.

Question 54

What is single-subject research?

Answer 54

A research method focused on observing and analyzing the behavior of individual subjects to draw conclusions about the effects of interventions and treatments. ## Footnote Studies one person deeply to see treatment effects.

Question 55

What is stimulus control?

Answer 55

The concept that behavior is influenced by the presence or absence of specific environmental stimuli, which can increase or decrease the likelihood of certain responses. ## Footnote Behavior only happens when the right cue is present.

Question 56

What is reinforcement?

Answer 56

The process of increasing the probability of a behavior by presenting or removing a stimulus following the behavior. ## Footnote Increases behavior—like attention or praise making a student participate more.

Question 57

What is punishment?

Answer 57

The process of decreasing the probability of a behavior by presenting an aversive stimulus or removing a reinforcing stimulus following the behavior. ## Footnote Decreases behavior—similar to how detention discourages tardiness.

Question 58

What is extinction?

Answer 58

The process of decreasing the frequency of a behavior by ceasing to provide reinforcement or presenting an aversive stimulus. ## Footnote If attention used to reinforce whining stops, the whining fades over time.

Question 59

What is shaping?

Answer 59

A method of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior, gradually guiding the behavior closer to the target. ## Footnote Used in therapy—reinforce small steps toward saying a full word.

Question 60

What is generalization in behavior?

Answer 60

The transfer of learned behavior across different settings, stimuli, or situations, where behavior is not limited to the specific conditions under which it was originally learned. ## Footnote If a child learns to raise their hand in class, and does it at tutoring too—that’s generalization.

Question 61

What is maintaining behavior?

Answer 61

The continued performance of a behavior over time, often achieved through ongoing reinforcement or the presence of maintaining contingencies. ## Footnote What keeps the behavior going over time—usually reinforcement.