section 4-assessment Flashcards
1
Q
4 phases of intervention
A
A PIE
- assessment
- planning
- implementation
- evaluation
2
Q
assessment
A
- a SYSTEMATIC method for obtaining info abt the FUNCTION challenging Bx serve for an individual
- allow us to make EMPIRICAL-based HYPOTHESES for WHY Bx occur
- a variety of method to identify targets for B change: direct observations, interviews, checklists, tests
- discovers: resources, assets, sig. others, competing contingencies, maintenance & generalization factors, potential R/P
the shape of assessment is funnel 漏斗: with a broad scope that narrows focus as you conduct the assessment process
3
Q
purpose of assessment
A
- identify & define targets for B change
- guide us to create effective & +ve interventions
4
Q
ethics for assessment
A
- SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT + PRIORITIZE Bx –> choose the RIGHT Bx for assessment
- be skilled at conduct assessment
- only accept client whose B problems or requested service are commensurate with your education, training, experience
5
Q
5 phases of assessment
A
- screening & general deposition
- defining & qualifying problems or desired achievement criteria
- pinpoint target Bx
- monitoring process
- follow up
6
Q
pre-assessment considerations
A
- *ethics**
- BEFORE conduct an assessment, must ask criteria question: who has the authority, permission, resources, skills to complete an assessment & intervene with the B
e. g. a BA do NOT have the authority to intervene in a kid on the street!! - BEFORE implementing assessment: should obtain the client’s or client surrogate’s WRITTEN approval of the assessment procedure
7
Q
indirect assessment measures
A
- data obtained from recollections, reconstructions, SUBJECTIVE ratings of events
- interviews
- checklists
- NOT as reliable as direct assessment
- should ONLY be used as SUPPLEMENT to other FBA methods
- start the hypotheses development process
8
Q
direct assessment measures
A
- provide info abt a person’s B AS IT OCCURS
- PREFERRED choice over indirect measures
- tests
- direct observations
9
Q
4 ways of acquire info for assessment
A
COIT
- behavioral checklist
- observations
- interviews
- tests
10
Q
- behavioral checklist
A
- likert scales
- alone / with interviews & rating scales
- ask abt ANTECEDENTS & CONSEQUENCES of the target Bx
- published checklist:
*CBCL: child behavior checklist: teacher, parent, child report forms (age 5-18) [Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1991]- ABS-S: adaptive behavior scale-school: assess children’s adaptive behavior [Lambert, Nihira, Leland 1993]
- ABS-RC: ABS-residential & community
[Lambert, Nihira, Leland 1993]
11
Q
- observations
A
- direct & repeated in the NATURAL environment
- identify potential target Bx
- PREFERRED method
- ANECDOTAL observation / ABC recording: basic form of direct observation
- temporally sequenced description of B patterns
- requires TOTAL attention of observer for at least 20-30 mins CONTINUOUSLY
- NOT good option for class teacher coz they have other things to do & can’t commit full attention to data
- do NOT write interpretations, only what is observable & measurable
- carry out for several days to decrease REACTIVE EFFECTS
12
Q
- interviews
structured behavioral interviews
A
- 1st step to identifying list of Bx that can be used later in direct observation
2 sources of interviews
a. the individual:
- ask what, when etc. questions but NOT why
- identify PRIMARY concerns of the INDIVIDUAL
- can give the individual questionnaires / have them record self-monitoring data
b. significant others:
- e.g parents, etc
- good way to assess the individual’s sig. others in your INTERVENTION plan
13
Q
- tests
standard test
A
- published standardized tests, e.g. ABLLS
- CONSISTENT administration: same questions & tasks are presented in a specified way & same scoring criteria & procedure are used EACH time
- most standardized test do NOT work well with FBA coz results are NOT directly translated into target Bx
e. g. a standardized test shows a 4th grader performs at 3rd grade level. it can NOT tell what academic skills he mastered / what he needs help - LICENSIGN requirement: only a licensed psychologist can administrate some intelligence tests
14
Q
review records & data at the outset/beginning of the case
A
- ALL records & available data (e.g. data from previous school/agency)
- part of INDIRECT FBA
15
Q
consider biological / medical variables may affect the client
A
ethics: RULE OUT medical causes for problem Bx–> should recommend seeking medical consultation if there’s a reasonable possibility the B results from a medication side effect / biological cause
- refer client to undergo medical evaluation
- if bio/medical variables are affecting the B, there may be NO need for behavior analytic services
- if NO bio/medical effects, there MAY be a need for behavior analytics
16
Q
preliminary assessment to identify referral problem
A
- if NO identified medical/bio causes & there’s a need for intervention: conduct an INDIRECT assessment to start the identification & hypothesis process
- gather info indirectly: interview, rating scales, screening forms, etc
- during a preliminary assessment, ask: if there’s a need for intervention:
- does the person’s B pose a DANDER to self/others?
- does the B affect one’s WELL-BEING?
- does the B prevent the person from accessing LESS RESTRICTIVE environments: separated from same-aged peers, in danger of losing placement?
- how does the B compare to same-aged typically developing peers?
17
Q
explain behavioral concepts in NON-TECHNICAL language
A
- *ethics**
- use language that is FULLY understandable to the recipient of the service
- avoid using complicated technical behavioral analytical language
- do NOT use mentalistic language (e.g. think, feel)
18
Q
describe & explain B (private & public events) in behavioral analytic terms
NON-mentalism (hypothetical & unobserved)
A
- do NOT discuss problems in mentalism terms –> coz this does NOT offer a solution
e. g. he is aggressive coz he has ASD.
19
Q
collaborate with others
A
- *ethics**
- collaborate with MEDIATORS: ppl who will be implementing the plan & who support the client
- BA’s role to INITIATE & MAINTAIN the collaboration –> mediators will consistently & correctly implement BA’s plan
20
Q
select intervention strategies based on environmental & resources constrains
A
- *ethics**
- BA gets to know the physical, materials, human resources in the family/organization where the B changes are to occur
- learn the values & concerns of key stakeholders
- look to see what adjustments might be required in the system to monitor, encourage & sustain/maintain the kinds of changes
- if resources are NOT available, must adjust our goals/methods
21
Q
identify & make environmental changes that reduce the need for behavior analysis services
A
- *ethics**
- environment/ecology: physical settings + ppl in the environment
- change ecology / how others engage with the client –> B changes
- identify during INDIRECT FBA: environmental variables that may trigger or reinforce the B
- seek to ELIMINATE the environmental constraints or identify the obstacles in WRITING, if they hamper implementation of the B analytic program
22
Q
ecological assessment
physical environment + ppl
A
- a great deal of info abt the individual & settings where one lives & works
- physiological conditions, physical settings, interactions with others, home environment, etc
- creates DESCRIPTIVE data
- costly in times & money etc
- should know when it’s appropriate to use
23
Q
reactivity
A
- the effects of the assessment process on the B being assessed
- reactivity most likely when observations are OBTRUSIVE/obvious to the individual
- self-monitor: most obtrusive data collection method
- reactive effects are usually temporary
- reduce reactivity:
- as unobtrusive/unobviously as possible
- repeat observations until reactive effects subside/decrease
- take reactivity effects into account when interpreting data
24
Q
assess social sig. of potential target Bx
A
“ethics”
- consider WHOES B is being assessed and why
- ask: to what extent the proposed change improve the person’s life
- NOT ok to change B for benefits of others, e.g. be still, be quiet
- NOT ok to change B coz you want to, e.g. teach cursive 草书 to one who can’t read
25
habilitation
| adjustment
- assess the meaningfulness of change
- is the change really useful to the CLIENT?
- habilitation occurs when a person's repertoire has been changed such that short & long term Rs are max., short & long term Ps are min.
- assess if the target Bx you might change in a client will be habilitative for the client
26
10 questions to ask when evaluating habilitation/social sig. of target Bx
1. relevance of B rule: is the B likely to produce R in the client's NATURAL environment after intervention ENDS?
2. is the B a prerequisite for a more complex functional skill?
3. will the B increase the client's access to environments?
* access Bx: producing indirect benefits to clients
e. g. teach SENs to stay in seat, interact politely with others--> expect to increase acceptance in general education classroom
4. will change this B predispose/influence others to interact with the client in a more supportive manner?
5. is the B a pivotal B (access to untrained Bx) or a behavioral cusp (access to new environment/Rs)?
6. is it an age-appropriate B?
7. if the B is to be reduced/eliminated from one's repertoire, has an adaptive & FUNCTIONAL B been selected to replace it?
* constructional approach: to build/construct replacement Bx when a target B is removed
* eliminative approach: gets rid of target Bx without construct anything in replacement
8. does the B represent the actual goal or only indirectly related?
e. g. increase on-task B --> increase work output (actual goal)
9. is it just talk or the real B of interest? BA actually changes Bx
10. if the goal is not a specific B, will this B help to achieve it?
* sometimes target changes are NOT B, but the result of the PRODUCT of certain Bx
* target on most directly & functionally related behaviors
e. g. losing weight is NOT B, but reduced food consumption, increase exercise are Bx.
e. g. earning good grade is NOT B, but studying is B
27
normalization
| mainstreaming
- the belief/goal that ppl with disabilities should be physically & socially integrated into MAINSTREAM society regardless of the degree/type of disability to the MAX extent possible
- use progressively more typical settings & procedures to establish personal B that are as CULTURALLY NORMAL as possible
28
behavior cusp
| Rosales-Ruiz & Baer
- B that has consequences beyond the change itself
- expose the person's repertoire to new environments: new Rs/Ps, new contingencies, new responses, new stimulus controls, new communities of maintaining / destructive contingencies --> one's repertoire expands
- cusps NOT same as prerequisite/component Bx
e.g. crawling is a cusp: enable to access new environment/Rs/contingencies
component Bx of crawling: specific arms, head, legs movements
- select B cusps as goals for intervention to make learning more EFFICIENT
e. g. reading, general imitation
29
pivotal Bx
| Koegel & Koegel, US Santa Barbara
- a B once learned that produces corresponding modifications or covariations in OTHER adaptive UNTRAINED Bx
- once learned a pivotal B--> lead to more complex Bx
e. g. teach ASD child to self-initiate (i.e. approach others): pivotal for the emergence of UNTRAINED Bx/response classes: asking questions, increased production & diversity of talking
e. g. joint attention
- teach pivotal Bx reduces intervention times
- pivotal response training (PRT): focus on more comprehensive pivotal areas: increase one's motivation to learn, initiate communication, monitor one's own Bx.
PRT emphasis/focuses on motivation
30
B cusps vs. pivotal Bx
similarities
- both are Bx BA wants to teach 1st to clients --> upon which other Bx can be built
- select B cusps & pivotal Bx when creating intervention goals
differences
- B cusps are more abt accessing new environments & contingencies
- pivotal Bx are more abt experiencing changes in UNTRAINED Bx
31
generative learning
| derived relations
- enhancing comprehension of NEW materials due to PREVIOUS learning
- achieve by teaching material to ensure the client is FLUENT with it, & by teaching B cusps & pivotal Bx
32
prioritize target Bx
* *ethics**
1. threat to the health/safety of client or others
2. frequency
- opportunities to use/maintain new Bx in the natural environment
- occurrence of problem
3. longevity of problem: chronic problem comes before new one
4. potential for HIGHER are of R
5. relative importance of the target B to FUTURE skill development & independent functioning
6. reduction of NEGATIVE ATTENTION from others
e. g. idiosyncratic public displays / mannerisms
7. R for sig. others
8. likelihood of success: some Bx are harder to change
9. cost-benefit ratio: include time & effort. low-cost & high benefit
Developing & using a target behavior ranking matrix
- 0 - 4: no value - maximum value
- Weight some of the variables differentially
E.g. senior citizen: immediate benefit
Secondary students: relevance to future skill development & independent functioning
- Conflicting goals: obtain client, parent, practitioners in the goal determination process
33
4 functions of problem Bx
SEAT
1. sensory (automatic R)
2. escape
3. attention
4. tangible
34
default technologies
- coercive 强制的, punishment-based interventions often selected arbitrarily
e. g. go to your room!
- conduct FBAs decreases reliance on default technologies
35
FBA methods pyramid
top to bottom:
| analog assessment/ functional analysis --> descriptive diret assessment --> indirect assessment
36
analog assessment/
| functional analysis
- the ONLY FBA method that allows us to confirm HYPOTHESES regarding FUNCTIONAL RELATIONS between Bx & environmental events
- arrange/manipulate ANTECEDENTS & CONSEQUENCES to observe their SEPARATE effects on Bx
- gold standard of assessment procedure
- analog: arrange variables NOT settings where assessment occurs
- analog conditions allow better control of variables
- functional analyses done in natural settings yield same results as in simulated settings
2 types of functional analyses
1. extended functional analysis
2. brief functional analysis: a brief version of extended functional analysis
37
4 typical original conditions of functional analysis
3 test conditions & 1 control condition:
1. contingent ATTENTION: social disapproval condition
2. contingent ESCAPE: academic demand condition
3. alone (automatic R/sensory)
4. control: play condition. problem Bx is low in this unstructured condition coz R is freely available & no demands
- each test contains an MO & a potential source of R for B
- conditions are presented SYSTEMATICALLY, 1 at a time & in alternating sequence until a PATTERN of problem B emerges
- sessions are repeated
- based on Iwata's research on FA
- 5th condition: tangible: ONLY used when suspect the client's problem B's function is to attain access to a tangible
38
interpret FA data
visually inspecting a graph of the result to see the conditions under which HIGH rates of B occurs
39
interpret FA data: attention
- contingent attention condition = +ve R
- this conditon test for +ve R
* *how**
- give attention --> then remove attention to establish the MO (deprivation of attention)
- if problem B occurs, give a mild reprimand ("No") & remove attention again
- each time problem B occurs, give a reprimand & remove attention again
- if the rate of problem B is HIGH in this condition, attention is the maintaining R
40
interpret FA data: escape
- contingent escape condition = -ve R
- this condition is test for -ve R
* *how**
- give NON-preferred demands repeatedly to establish the MO (satiation for the aversive task)
- if no response/incorrect response, then prompt a correct response
- if problem B occurs, remove the demands. ("ok, we don't have to do this right now"). the demands are then reintroduced
- each time problem B occurs, remove the demands & reintroduce them again after some time passed
- - if the rate of problem B is HIGH in this condition, escape is the maintaining R
41
interpret FA data: automatic R (sensory)
- alone condition = automatic R
- test for automatic R
* *how**
- client remains in a room with NO demand / social interaction
- NO consequence for problem Bx
42
interpret FA data: undifferentiated pattern
- spider web graph
- means problem B occurs/variable across ALL conditions (include play condition)
- -> inconclusive results / problem B is maintained by AUTOMATIC R
43
play condition / control condition
- test for automatic R & serve as a control condition
* *how**
- leisure materials are FREELY available & attention is given on average every 30 secs ('i like how you are playing')
- NO consequence except WITHHOLD attention until problem B ceased if it occurs at the 30 secs mark when attention was to be delivered
- if problem B occurs in the presence of PREFERRED items, in the absence of demands, with intermittent attention, then automatic R is the maintaining R or another FA is needed
44
tangible condition
- ONLY use when suspects accessing tangible is the function
* *how**
- give access to highly preferred items/activities for a set amount of time, then ask the client to give back or remove it to establish MO (deprivation for the items)
- each time problem B occurs, the tangible item is returned for a set amount of time, then removes again
- if problem B increases, access to tangible is the function
45
brief FA
- conduct a FA in a short period of time
- SYSTEMATICALLY manipulating environmental variables to trigger the problem B & R it when it occurs
- -> to determine which variable is maintain the B
- 4 variables: attention, escape, alone, play
- each condition is run for 10 mins
- each condition except alone, must an MO & SD that signal R is available
- in each condition, purposely trigger the problem B & R it to observe if it INCREASES:
* the B increase if that consequence is the function
* the B will NOT increase or occur again if that consequence is NOT the function
46
advantage of FA
- clear demo of variables that related to problem B
- standard to which all other forms of FBA are evaluated
- enable development of effective R-based treatment
47
disadvantage of FA
* *ethics**
- may temporarily strengthen the problem B
- may result in the B acquiring new functions
- acceptability is low
- difficult to use for serious, low freq Bx
- if conducted in contrived settings, may NOT identify idiosyncratic variables related to problem B
- require time, effort, professional expertise
48
direct descriptive FBA
descriptive assessment
direct assessment
- direct observation of problem B in NATURAL conditions
- NO systematical arrangement
- record data on the occurrence of B within the natural environment where it occurs & environmental events that surround it
- direct assessment are approximations of FA
- involves baseline data collection
49
3 data collection methods for descriptive FBAs
1. ABC continuous recording
2. ABC narrative recording
3. scatter plot
50
1. ABC continuous recording
record:
1. occurrences of target problem Bx
2. selected environmental events within natural routine during a specified period of time
- all ABC data should be recorded for a min. of 20 - 30 mins
51
advantage of ABC continuous recording
- use precise measures
- provide useful CONTEXTUAL info & correlations regarding environmental events & problem Bx --> provide useful info for later functional analyses
- calculates conditional probabilities
* proportion of the occurrence of problem B preceded by a specific ANTECEDENT
* proportion of the occurrence of problem B followed by a specific CONSEQUENCE
* can be misleading
52
disadvantage of ABC continuous recording
often antecedent & consequences do NOT reliably precede & follow problem Bx --> make correlations difficult to detect
53
conditional probabilities
- probability that a target B will occur in a specific circumstance
- taken from ABC data
- help to hypothesis the function of B
- looks at the proportion of occurrence of problem B preceded by a specific antecedent &/ followed by a specific consequence
```
*formula*
# of Bx preceded by a specific antecedent &/ followed by a specific consequence / total # of Bx
```
- the closer the probability is to 1.0, the more convincing the hypothesis is
- reported in decimal form
- can be misleading
54
2. ABC narrative recording
sequence analysis
A-B-C descriptive narrative data
- data collected ONLY when B of interest are observed
- recording is open-ended
- can calculate conditional probabilities
- difficult to discriminate which environmental events actually occasion the problem B
55
advantages of ABC narrative recording
less time consuming
56
disadvantages of ABC narrative recording
- utility in identifying B function NOT established
- may yield FALSE POSITIVE coz data are collected ONLY when B occurs
- SAME antecedent & consequence may present when problem B is absent
- reliability may be low
- observers may report 'inferred states' rather than events
57
scatter plot
pattern analysis
- record the extent to which a target B occurs more often at particular times than others
- divide day into BLOCKS OF TIME.
- for each time period, enter a symbol to indicate whether problem B occurs a lot, sometimes, or not at all
- analyze for PATTERN to identify TEMPORAL distributions of B & events that occur at that time
58
advantages of scatter plot
- identify time periods when problem B occurs
| - can be useful for pinpointing periods of the day when more focused ABC assessment can be conducted
59
disadvantages of scatter plot
- subjective
- does NOT determine the function of problem B
- does NOT offer replacement Bx
60
indirect FBA
- identify potential events in the NATURAL setting that correlate with the problem B
- gather info from OTHERS who know the individual very well
- rating scales, checklists, structured interviews:
* motivation assessment scale - MAS
* motivation analysis rating scale - MARS
* problem behavior questionnaire - PBQ
* functional analysis screening tool - FAST
* questions about behavioral function - QABF
61
advantages of indirect FBA
- contributes to hypothesis development
| - simple to use coz do NOT require observations
62
disadvantages of indirect FBA
- informants may NOT be accurate
- little research supports the reliability of info obtained
- best used for hypothesis development
63
functional equivalence
* *ethics**
- intervention must match the FUNCTION of B
- when decrease a B, must select an ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE B / a functionally equivalent replacement B to be established or increase for the client
- teach functional skills is 1 of the 6 basic client rights in The Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment (Van Houten et al. 1988)
64
make recommendations based on FBA
- established: client does NOT have the target B in one's repertoire --> teach the NEW B
- maintained: client has the target B in repertoire --> maintenance OVER TIME in NATURAL environment
- increased: target B rate is too low--> increase it to an acceptable level.
e. g. DRH
- decreased: target B rate is too high--> decrease it to an acceptable level.
e. g. DRL, DRD
- eliminate: e.g. DRO (other Bx)
- conduct discrepancy analysis to tell if problem B is at problematic levels & determine the behavioral standard for acceptability
65
assessment is ongoing
* *ethics**
- continue monitoring effectiveness of the intervention over time
- functions of problem Bx are DYNAMIC & CHANGE over time
- ONGOING evaluation & assessment is 1 of the 6 basic client rights in The Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment (Van Houten et al. 1988)
66
importance of defining target Bx
to researchers:
- definition is required by REPLICATION
- replication is required by research
to practitioners
- accurate evaluation requires an explicit definition of B
- accurate & believable evaluation of effectiveness
67
3 characteristics of good operational definitions
| both B & environment variables
OCC
1. objective: refer only to OBSERVABLE
2. clear: readable & unambiguous
3. complete: delineate BOUNDARIES of definition (include & exclude)
68
social validity
* *ethics**
- ensure assessment & intervention has social validity
- asks: is a person's life changed in a +ve & meaningful way?
- 3 factors
1. social sig. of the GOAL
2. social appropriateness of the PROCEDURES
3. social importance of the EFFECTS: are consumers (client & mediators) satisfied with the results?
69
select interventions based on social validity
- determine if the MEDIATORS & others in the client's environment agree with the procedure
- if they don't accept the intervention, they will NOT adhere to them in the future
70
identify putative/supposed reinforcers (Rs)
- success of ABA depends on effective Rs
- R for 1 person may not R for another
- sometimes hard to determine for ppl with intellectual disabilities
- preferences are TRANSITORY: 1 thing may not always reinforcing. R changes with age, interest level, time of day, presence of MOs, etc
71
2 procedure for identifying effective Rs
1. stimulus preference assessment
| 2. reinforcer assessment
72
stimulus preference assessment
- identify stimuli that are LIKELY to function as Rs
to determine:
* stimuli that a person prefers
* relative preference value of stimuli (high vs. low)
* under which conditions the preference values CHANGE when task demands, deprivation states, schedule of R changes
73
3 basic methods of stimulus preference assessment
1. ask abt stimulus preferences
2. free-operant observation
3. trial-based methods
74
1. ask abt stimulus preferences
a. ask the person
- open-ended oral or written questions
- choice format
- rank objects on a list
- if the person has limited language, use pictures, nods/points as making a choice.
- not a sure-fire system. there may be discrepancies between a person's claim & the real reinforce power
b. ask the sig. other
c. offer a pre-task choice: what do you want to earn for doing the task?
75
2. free-operant observation
- record what activities a person engages in when they can CHOOSE during a period of UNRESTRICTED access to numerous activities
- CONTRIVED free-operant observation: the practitioner fills the environment with a variety of items that the person may like
- NATURALISTIC free-operant observation: conduct in the learner's EVERYDAY environment as UNOBTRUSIVELY as possible. the observer records how the person allocates time with each activity
76
3 ways to measure a learner's B
measure how a learner responds to stimuli in free-operant observation & trial-based methods:
1. approach: any DETECTABLE movement toward the stimulus
2. contact: touch/hold the stimulus
3. engagement: total time/percentage of intervals that interact with the stimulus
the MORE a person approaches, touches, engages with a stimulus, the MORE likely he prefers it
- high preference - HP
- medium preference - MP
- low preference - LP
77
3. trial-based methods
stimuli are presented to the learner in a series of trials, measure the learner's responses to the stimuli as an index of preference
1. paired stimulus / force choice
2. multiple stimulus
3. single stimulus / successive choice
78
1. paired stimulus / force choice
SIMULTANEOUS present 2 stimuli
- observer records which one the learner chooses
- data reflects how many times each stimulus is chosen
- rank stimuli as low, medium, high preference
- sometimes more efficient than single-stimulus presentation
- takes more time coz EVERY PAIR of stimuli must be presented
79
2. multiple stimulus
SIMULTANEOUS present 3 or more stimuli
- reduce assessment time
1. multiple stimuli with replacement: the chosen item remains in the array, replace the ones that are not chosen
2. multiple stimuli without replacement: the chosen item is removed, rearrange the order or placement of not chosen items & next trial begins
80
3. single stimulus / successive choice
- most basic method for assessing preference
- suit for ppl who has a hard time selecting among 2 or more stimuli
- target stimuli among all SENSORY: visual, auditory, vestibular, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, multisensory
- present 1 at a time in RANDOME order, record the person's reactive to each stimuli
- record approach / rejection: occurrence (yes/no), frequency, duration
- after recording, the next item is presented
- present several time & varied order
81
select stimulus preference assessment method
- monitor learner's activities before the assessment to be aware of MOs
- balance cost-benefit
- use fewer items in an array if time is brief
- combine multiple assessment methods
82
reinforcer assessment
- direct, data-based methods used to present 1 or more stimuli contingent on a TARGET response & then measure the FUTURE effects on the RATE of responding
- use to determine the RELATIVE effects of a given stimulus as R under DIFFERENT & CHANGING conditions
- to assess the comparative effectiveness of multiple stimuli as Rs for a given B under certain conditions
- put the potential Rs to a DIRECT test: present them contingent on occurrences of a B, measure any effects on response RATES
- the ONLY way to know for sure whether a stimulus serves as R: present it IMMEDIATELY after the occurrence of the B, measure its effects on RESPONDING
83
a. concurrent schedule reinforcer assessment
- 2 ore more contingencies of R operate INDEPENDENTLY & SIMULTANEOUSLY for 2 or more Bx
- show the RELATIVE effectiveness of HP & LP
- to determine differences between relative & absolute R effects
- matching law
84
b. multiple schedule reinforcer assessment
- present 2 or more component schedule of R (FI, VI, FR, VR) for a SINGLE response, ONLY 1 component schedule in effect at a given time
- an SD signals the presences of each component schedule & the SD is present as long as the schedule is in effect
85
c. progressive-ratio schedule reinforcer assessment
- assess the relative effectiveness of a stimulus as R as response requirement INCREASE
- requirement of R are increased SYSTEMATICALLY over time INDEPENDENT of the participant's B
- the practitioner gradually requires MORE responses per presentation of preferred stimulus until a BREAKING POINT & the response rate declines
86
identify potential punishers
- what is punishing for 1 person may not be for another
- sometimes hard to determine for intellectual disabilities
- punishers are transitory
87
punisher assessment
- same as R assessment
advantage
- the sooner it can be identified, the sooner it can be used to treat problem Bx
- informs the INTENSITY of the punisher needed to effectively decrease / eliminate the problem B
- want to use the SMALLEST intensity of the punisher when it is effective
- measure -ve verbalizations, avoidance movements, escape attempts associated with each potential punishing stimulus
- use data from punisher assessment to develop hypothesis on the relative effectiveness of each stimulus change as a punisher
