"Applied behavior analysis (ABA), also called behavioral engineering, is a psychological intervention that applies empirical approaches based upon the principles of respondent and operant conditioning to change behavior of social significance."
Applies the principles of behaviorism to real-world problems in areas such as education, mental health, and business.
Reinforcement: A process that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again by delivering a consequence that is desirable or rewarding.
Punishment: A process that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again by administering a negative consequence that is not desirable.
Antecedent: A term used to describe the events or factors that precede or trigger a specific behavior.
Extinction: A process that involves withholding reinforcement previously given for a behavior resulting in the behavior becoming less frequent or disappearing altogether.
Shaping: A process that involves rewarding successive approximations of a behavior until the desired behavior is reached.
Generalization: The process of applying the behavior learned in one setting to another similar setting.
Discrimination: The process of distinguishing between one behavior and another.
Contingency: A relationship between a behavior, its consequences, and the antecedents.
Contingency contract: A written agreement between two parties that specifies expected behaviors and consequences.
Prompt: A stimulus or cue used to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior.
Chaining: A process of teaching a complex or multi-step behavior by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable components that can be taught one at a time.
Functional analysis: A process used to determine the function of a specific behavior by manipulating the antecedents and consequences.
Self-management: A process of taking responsibility for one's own behavior through setting goals, monitoring behavior, and providing self-reinforcement or punishment.
Preference assessment: A process of determining an individual's preferences and using them to select appropriate reinforcers.
Task analysis: A process of breaking down a complex behavior into smaller, more manageable steps.
Behavior intervention plan: A document that outlines strategies and procedures to modify behavior.
Data collection: The systematic gathering of information about a specific behavior to determine whether it is changing over time.
Behavior modification: The application of behavioral principles to change specific behaviors.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT): This type of ABA involves breaking down a complicated skill into smaller, more manageable steps, and practicing each of them individually.
Naturalistic Teaching: This approach emphasizes teaching within the child's natural environment, such as the home or community setting. It encourages incidental learning through everyday experiences.
Functional Communication Training (FCT): FCT is a specific type of ABA designed to enhance communication skills in children with communication difficulties by teaching alternative methods of communication.
Verbal Behavior (VB): VB operates under the premise that language development is learned behavior, and that teaching language is a fundamental component of ABA therapy.
Pivotal Response Training (PRT): This approach seeks to strengthen some of the pivotal, foundational behaviors that support learning and positive behavior, such as motivation, self-management, and self-initiation.
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI): This ABA can involve 20-40 hours of one-on-one therapy per week for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Therapists work within the family's home or educational setting to address various behavior and developmental issues.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS): PBIS is an ABA approach used in educational settings to prevent problematic behaviors and promote positive ones.
Self-Modeling: This technique involves the creation of videos that show a child engaging in positive behaviors or skills. The videos are replayed to the child to reinforce their learning.
Social Stories: Social stories are short stories that teach the child how to respond to particular situations, using carefully crafted narratives and visuals.
Video Modeling: This technique involves watching another person complete a particular skill or behavior on video, then modeling the behavior oneself.
"It is the applied form of behavior analysis; the other two forms are radical behaviorism (or the philosophy of the science) and the experimental analysis of behavior (or basic experimental laboratory research)."
"The name applied behavior analysis has replaced behavior modification because the latter approach suggested attempting to change behavior without clarifying the relevant behavior-environment interactions."
"ABA changes behavior by first assessing the functional relationship between a targeted behavior and the environment."
"The approach often seeks to develop socially acceptable alternatives for aberrant behaviors."
"Although service delivery providers overwhelmingly specialize in utilizing structured and naturalistic early behavioral interventions for individuals with autism..."
"ABA has also been utilized in a range of other areas, including United States military psychological operations."
"ABA is controversial, especially among members of the autism rights movement, for a number of reasons."
"Some ABA interventions emphasize normalization instead of acceptance..."
"There is a history of, in some forms of ABA and its predecessors, the use of aversives, such as electric shocks."
"ABA is also controversial due to concerns about its evidence base."
"In the last few years, there have been reforms in some types of ABA interventions to address these criticisms and concerns, especially regarding masking." Note: Due to the length of the paragraph and limitation of each response, not all questions can be directly answered with specific quotes.