Understanding Behavior - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Understanding Behavior

Robert GalinoSlide2

Objectives

1. To introduce the 4 Primary Functions of

Behavior.2. To introduce the basic concepts of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA).

3. To

review basic

concepts of Behavior

Analysis.

4. To introduce basic concepts regarding the Three-term Contingency. Slide3

What is Behavior?

The most simple definition of behavior is:

“The actions or reactions of a person or animal in response to internal or external stimuli”.

Simply put, everything we do, from

the moment we arise in the morning,

until the moment we retire at night is

considered “behavior”.Slide4

Principles of Behavior

Almost all human behavior is learnedAll Behaviors occur for a reasonNo behaviors occur “out of blue”Behaviors continue to occur because they are effective

Behaviors stop occurring because they are ineffectiveSlide5

What is the Function of Behavior?

The function of behavior is the reason people behave in certain ways. People engage in millions of different behaviors each day, but the reasons for exhibiting these various behaviors fall into four main categories.Slide6

“Its Just Behavior”

Its not personal…students engage in problem and appropriate behaviors to get their needs met.Slide7

4 Primary Functions of Behavior

EscapeAttention

TangibleSensorySlide8
Slide9

Function of Behavior

1. Escape/Avoidance: The individual behaves in

order to get out of doing something he/she does not want to

do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

juugR_DFXA0Slide10

Function of Behavior

2. Attention Seeking: The individual behaves to

get focused attention from parents, teachers, siblings, peers, or other people that are

around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

OvCJmEWyaewSlide11

Function of Behavior

3. Seeking Access to Materials (tangible) : The individual behaves in order to get a preferred

item or participate in an enjoyable activity.Slide12

Function of Behavior

4. Sensory Stimulation: The individual behaves in a specific way because it feels good to

them.Slide13

A-B-C Example #1

Antecedent

: A's mother says "Time for dinner"

Behavior

:

A

screams and hits his head

Consequence

:

A

's

mom hugs him and rubs his back

A

screams and hits his head at a high rate every time his mother

asks

him to come to

dinner

.

Function

:

Attention in the form of positive social

reinforcement

.Slide14

A-B-C Example #2

Antecedent:

B's teacher says "Time to get your

homework out”

Behavior

:

B

throws her

books

Consequence

:

B

's

teacher lets her take a break for ten

minutes

.

The

behavior continues to increase every time the teacher asks

B

to do anything related to

academics

.

Function:

Escape

from task demandsSlide15

A-B-C Example #3

Antecedent: C's teacher says "get your jacket

forrecess

Behavior:

C

gets his jacket and lines up

Consequence

:

C

's

teacher says "Good Job

!”

C

continues to get his jacket every single time

his

teacher

asks him to for the rest of the school

year

.

Function:

Positive

reinforcement - social attentionSlide16

A-B-C Example #4

Every time D wants his favorite toy he screams.

Hisfamily members give him the toy

,

D

stops screaming

.

Antecedent

:

D

wants his favorite

toy

Behavior

:

S

creaming

Consequence

:

D

receives the toy and stops screaming

In the future

D

screams for all of his

toys

.

Function

:

Positive social reinforcement tangible item

Function for family members

:

Negative reinforcementSlide17

Other Factors To Consider

1. Setting events

2. PredictorsSlide18

Setting Events

Examples1. medications

2. Medical or physical problems3. Sleep cycles4. Eating routines and diet

5. Daily schedule

7. Staffing patterns and interactionsSlide19

Antecedent Events

(predictors)1. Time of day

2. Physical setting3. People

4. Activity Slide20

What are Functional Behavior Assessments ?Slide21

Functional Behavior Assessments

FBA’s are used to develop interventions for helping people change their behavior. A

FBA is a procedure that is used to help identify what is reinforcing or maintaining the behavior of concern. It involves generating a hypothesis as to why an individual does something.Slide22

Functional Behavior Assessment

Information is gathered by observing the antecedents (what happened immediately before the behavior) and the

consequence (what happened immediately after the behavior).Slide23

Three-term ContingencySlide24

Do you know your ABC’s?

In behavioral terminology ABC’s

is an acronym for

A

ntecedent-

B

ehavior-

C

onsequenceSlide25

Why do we need to know our ABC’s?

K

nowing and understanding the relationship between the

Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence contingency allows us to:

Observe behaviors as they occur and determine what specifically

“triggers” a behavior, and, what “maintains” that behavior.

Knowledge of the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence relationship provides us with information that can be used to

reduce or eliminate problem behaviors by intervening before

or after they occur.

Slide26

What are Antecedents?

Antecedents are anything in a person’s internal or external

environment that trigger a behavior.

Examples:

1. The alarm clock ringing is an antecedent for waking up.

2. Hunger pangs in our stomach are typically an antecedent for searching

for food.

3. Raindrops falling on us are typically an antecedent for opening our

umbrella, or quickly seeking out a drier location.

4. A dry mouth is typically an antecedent for finding something cold to

drink.

Slide27

What are Consequences?

Consequences are actions or events that directly follow the occurrence of a behavior. Consequences either increase or decrease the probability that the behavior they follow will occur again in the future.Slide28
Slide29

ABC Data Collection

Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQv4jWGBfPISlide30

Research has shown that function-based interventions are more efficient and effective that interventions that are not matched to the function of behavior. Slide31

What are Consequences?

Examples:

A student completes an assignment and the teacher praises the student and gives her a sticker. The praise and sticker are a consequence for task completion, and increase the probability the student will complete additional assignments in the future.

A student fails to complete their daily assignments, and the teacher takes away the students free-time privileges. Taking away free-time

privileges is the consequence for not completing assignments. The

consequence is meant to increase the probability the student

will

complete classroom assignments in the future.Slide32

What are Consequences?

Examples:

A child sees a candy bar in the store and asks his Mother if she might

purchase one. Mother says “No”. The child begins to cry and tantrum.

Mother tries to ignore, but after 5 minutes gives in and buys the child a

candy bar. Receiving the candy bar was a consequence for the child’s

behavior, and increases the probability that in a similar situation in the

future the child will tantrum.

Ms. Johnson daughter Shelly returned home two hours past her

curfew. In response, Ms. Johnson takes away Shelly’s car and phone

privileges for a week. Taking away privileges is the consequence for

breaking curfew, and increases the probability that Shelly will be home

on time in the future.Slide33

ABC’s

What the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence relationship

shows us, is that human behavior is in fact highly predictable, even though it may not always appear to be.

By understanding the ABC relationship, and honing our

skills as keen observers of behavior, we can begin to use

our knowledge and skills to address common classroom

behavior problems before they become critical.Slide34

Utilizing an ABC Analysis

Addressing ongoing problem behaviors in the school

setting typically begins with observation and some simple

data collection. An ABC Analysis Form is frequently used.

An ABC Analysis involves carefully observing each

occurrence of a problem behavior, and documenting the

antecedent condition that preceded the behavior, giving a

detailed description of the behavior, and the consequence

event that followed the behavior.Slide35

Utilizing an ABC Analysis

The main purpose of repeated observations is to look for

predictable patterns in a students behavior. Once a

predictable pattern begins to emerge in our data, we

can begin brainstorming ways to intervene.Slide36

Using you ABC’s to ACT

Once you have determined the antecedents that trigger a

problem behavior, and the consequences that appear to maintain the behavior you can ACT.

Based upon the ABC model there are only two possible

options with regard to intervening with problem behaviors:

Intervene

Before

the behavior occurs, or intervene

After

the behavior occurs.Slide37

Using your ABC’s to ACT

Intervening before a behavior occurs is referred to as

“Antecedent Manipulation”.

If we can determine through an ABC Analysis what specific

things, events, conditions tend to “trigger” problem behavior

we can change the environment in ways that will

prevent

the problem behavior from occurring.

This is the simplest, most effective, and least time

consuming method for addressing problem behavior.

Slide38

Using your ABC’s to ACT

Examples:

An ABC Analysis indicates that Jimmy typically shoves

his work off onto the floor, curses, and overturns his desk

during math seatwork time.

Clearly, math seat-work is an antecedent for Jimmy to act

out. By altering the environment though curriculum

modifications, extra assistance, slicing back on the quantity

of and difficulty level of the task, we can significantly

reduce the probability that Jimmy will continue to act out.Slide39

Using your ABC’s to ACT

The second manner in which we can address problem

behavior is to intervene after the behavior occurs. This isreferred to as Consequence Interventions.

You may remember that consequences are what maintains

problem behaviors, and this is what we must change.

Consequence Interventions are more difficult to implement,

as they typically require changing our own, or someone

else’s response to a problem behavior.Slide40

Using your ABC’s to ACT

Example:

Tommy frequently “calls out” in class. Despite the fact that Ms. Johnson

has a classroom rule stating “No calling out. Raise your hand”. She

often finds herself calling on Tommy despite his behavior (he’s quite

persistent). By doing so Ms. Johnson is providing Tommy a

consequence that results in unnecessary attention, and perpetuates his

calling out.

Ms. Johnson decides that in the future when Tommy calls out, she will

simply ignore him completely (new consequence), and only call upon

him when he raises his hand. His calling out behavior stops.Slide41

Using your ABC’s to ACT

Example:

Billy has developed a habit of cutting up and telling inappropriate jokes

during class time, which is causing the students to laugh, and to be off-

task during instruction. A consequence that gives Billy much attention

and perpetuates his behavior.

His teacher decides to reward the students with a special treat (one

that Billy would really enjoy) each time Billy acts out and they ignore

him completely (new consequence). Soon Billy sees others getting

something he wants and his acting out stops.Slide42

Interventions that can be used for each Function of Behavior

Escape/Avoidance

Teach how to appropriately ask for help or a break.

Reinforce and praise

for compliance.

Attention Seeking

Teach how to appropriately ask for/get attention.

Increase attention for appropriate behaviors.

Seeking Access to materials

Teach how to appropriately ask for the item/material.

Deny access when not appropriately requested.

Sensory Stimulation

Redirect/interrupt

the behavior.

Increase access to alternative sources of stimulation.Slide43

Activity Situation #1

Angelo wants teacher attention. Whenever the teacher gives

Angelo an assignment to do, he

immediately puts

his

head down on

his

desk.

Seeing

this, the teacher walks over to

Angelo,

leans

down and with great care, talks to

Angelo about

how

she

knows

Angelo

can do the assignment if

o

nly he

will try.

The

teacher normally spends at least 2 minutes per assignment getting

Angelo

started.

What is the antecedent? _________________________

What is the behavior? _________________________

What is the consequence? _________________________ Slide44

Answers for ABC’s Activity #1

What is the antecedent: Teacher presents a task What is the behavior: Angelo

puts his head down

What is the consequence:

T

eacher

attention. Slide45

Pre/Post Test

True or False

1. There are 5 primary functions of behavior2. An

antecedent occurs immediately before the

behavior

3. A

consequence is what happens immediately after the

behavior

4. The

function of the behavior refers to what the individual is trying to obtain by exhibiting the

behavior

5. An FBO is a tool used to assist in identifying the function of a behavior Slide46

Pre/Post Test

Multiple Choice

Reinforcement

is

:

A stimulus or event which happens before a behavior

A stimulus or event which happens after a behavior

A stimulus or event that is the event

Common functions of behavior are

:

To communicate

To gain control

To gain sensory stimulation

All of the above

The Three-term Contingency is:

Antecedent, Consequence, Behavior

Consequence, Behavior, Antecedent

Behavior, Antecedent, Consequence

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence Slide47
Slide48
Slide49

Resources

Cooper, Heron, & Heward (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis: Second

Edition. New Jersey. Pearson Education, Inc.