The Limitations of Applied Behavioral Analysis - Assignment Example

Running Head: Applied Behavioral Analysis Student’s Name: Institution’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Applied Behavior Analysis Applied behavioral analysis refers to as the science of controlling and even foreseeing the behavior of human being. It is the scientific way of studying behavior and the manner in which it is affected by the environment where one resides. It is science by which analysis behavior’s principles are systematically applied towards improvement of socially significant behavior where experimentation is utilized in variables identification responsible for behavior change. Behavior is learnt through a process of witnessing certain characteristics exhibited by someone. Behavioral analysis does not rely on the hypothetical constructs but focuses on behavior’s observable relationship to the environment. Behavior stands for all the physical actions that can be seen and imitated by the individuals who see the actions taking place (Martin & Pear 2007). Physical behavior of a person refers to those actions that can be influenced or influence somebody’s actions; that is, somebody’s behavior can influence or be influenced by another person who portray certain behaviors that are influential to the other people especially those who surround him. Operant conditioning/ Operant behavior Operant conditioning is also known as instrumental conditioning or overt conditioning. The theory was established by B.F. Skinner to describe learning as a function of change in relation to overt behaviour. He explains that, behaviors in human beings are as a result of influence by events or the individual stimuli that occur within one’s environment (Sarafino, 1996). Operant behavior is a term derived from operant conditioning that B.F. Skinner developed. Operant behavior can be defined as the network of factors as well as events that are involved in non-human and human behaviors. The operant can be viewed as the behavior acting on the environment in order to produce a consequence. According to Thorndike and Hull, specific behaviors in operant conditioning in relation to the past behaviors can make one to give responses apart from eliciting response to the external stimuli. Antecedents They are events that occur or take place before the behavior. They are usually two types of behaviors that include discriminative stimuli or fast triggers and setting events or slow triggers. Setting events or slow triggers may occur within or out of the class and are situations that usually increase the chances of behavior occurrence such as oversleeping, and forgotten medication among others (Martin & Pear, 2007). Psychologists and specialists uses ABC acronym in trying to prepare a functional behavior analysis as a means of understanding a target behavior. A means antecedent, B for behavior and C mean consequence. Some of the concepts used in behavioral analysis and in antecedent include punishment and operant reinforcement. Reinforcement, punishment, temporal congruity, and contingency are some of the consequences of antecedent. Punishment and reinforcement are the most used concepts whereby punishment is used in behavior weakening while reinforcement is used in behavior strengthening. Reinforcement is a crucial principle in the behavior field and a key element in change programs of behavior. Reinforcement is a way by which strengthening of behavior takes place or occurs. If stimulus follows a behavior closely, it usually results to an increase of future frequency of the behavior (Kazdin 1978). Stimulus addition after an event serves as a reinforcer and is referred to as positive reinforcement. However, in case of event removal, it serves as a reinforcer and it is referred to as negative reinforcement. Punishment on the other hand is a process whereby an outcome or consequence that follows a behavior immediately reduces the behavior’s future frequency. Punishment can be positive (when a stimulus is added) or negative (when stimulus is removed). Temporal contiguity takes place when two stimuli are closely experienced in respect to time resulting to an association between them. Temporal contiguity affects largely the association between the reinforcer/punisher and operant behavior in operant conditioning. Contingency on the other hand is unseen event that occurs in future and it is not predictable with certainty. Types of antecedents include environmental cues, Social factors, cognitive, physical and Motivation. Cognitive antecedents includes beliefs that are drug related like “drug use is likely to improve the mood”, this is a though that is likely to facilitate a certain belief (Liddell 1987). Physical antecedent to use of substance usually involve yearning and withdrawal sign. Furthermore individuals are likely to use things in order to deal with other physical signs which might not be related to withdrawal or yearning. Environmental cues involve several various changes in setting that are likely to prevent or decrease the behavior problem. Positive consequences According to Skinner’s theory known as S-R theory, operant conditioning can be used as a reinforcement to assist in achieving response from an organism. The reinforcement could be a verbal comment of praise, giving of good results as well as showing satisfaction in relation to a certain action. According to B. f. Skinner, operant conditioning can also be used to administer punishment as way of reinforcing a certain character. Negative consequences Frequent condition leads to development of a habit within the organism. According to Skinner, the problem with that kind of habit is that once the reinforcement or stimuli is withdrawn, there is a likelihood of opposition and repellant from the organism (Liddell 1987). Another problem with operate conditioning is that once the organism is put into a certain environmental condition, regardless of the positivity or the negativity of the stimuli, it will tend to influence the behavior of that organism. Application of behavioral analysis Learning Behavioral analysis plays a vital role in a learning environment. Give an example of a teacher in class who wants his students to know the concept of food nutrition and the various food spices that add up to a balanced diet. The first step the teacher may decide at first is to introduce certain fruits that are more famous to the students before presenting the more complex ones. The process will give a lot of eagerness to explore more from what is already known to the unknown. This is important since it reinforces the students’ skills and makes the student think even more. Actually, through behavioral analysis, it is easy to learn and comprehend more complicated behaviors that are perceived to be vital in our daily life (Kazdin 1978). The use of behavioral analysis has proven applicable in learning settings. In the 1960s, a behavioral scientist started working with children who suffered from the inability to learn. These pioneers started their learning process by imitating the elderly ones as well as the colleagues (Liddell 1987). The situation led to the introduction of more behavioral techniques which helped children learn more complicated skills. The techniques used were situation oriented and they could the divergent needs of children especially from learning simple skills to more complex ones. Application of ABA in Autism Autism is the condition that has been associated with difficultness in learning. Most of the researches that have been done on behavioral analysis do indicate that people suffering from autism can learn more complex skills that include communicating, creating relationships with other colleagues, playing as well as learning how to take care of themselves. They also learn how to work hard in school and succeed in their work (Liddell 1987). The study on the behavioral analysis has indicated that use of different combinations of techniques that are more personalized can be a good intervention at an early age as they give the children the power of comprehending from the younger age. ABA provides intensive techniques that can be used to offer a wide range of learning activities for every child in each single day. These techniques offer both the structured as well as the unstructured context that create a lot of time for the children to participate actively in the learning process by possibly learning practical skills Sarafino (1996). Studies indicates that intensive ABA used during an early intervention revealed that children who are autistic attain many improvements in terms of skills learning like other children through participation and interventions (Feldman & Broadhurst, 1976). Reports on parents whose children received ABA have been reported to have less stress compared to those parents whose children were autistic and did not receive any ABA assistance. ABA with Autistic Older Learners Many researches that have been done to establish the effectiveness of ABA in adults indicate positive results in aiding the adults learn specific skills like children with autism (Skinner 2004). ABA analysis has also proven to be useful in helping different families to come up with different techniques that can be used to tackle human behaviors that arise due to autism. It has helped people to handle very difficulty behaviors for those individuals that suffer from autism (Sarafino 1996). ABA helps different individuals to come up with those techniques that do not require drugs to influence certain behaviors. Psychologists have combined different techniques in order to offer treatment programs to different individuals such as the youth and other adult. This has for many years proven very successful among different communities in their bids to tackle autism cases (Feldman, & Broadhurst 1976). ABA Intervention ABA intervention gives opportunities to develop more customized programs that help in developing individual learning skills (Rogers, 2008). It helps identify personal needs, curiosities, choices as well as individual family situations. It is because of this reason that ABA is used to develop different ABAs that help people with autism to learn from their colleagues as well as other people. Good ABA interventions for different learners have the following characteristics; the interventions offered by the analysts require that a well designed program be put in place which involves the qualified and well exposed behavior analysts (Kazdin 1978). The process of intervention also requires that the learner’s potential be thoroughly assessed to ascertain the degree of need that is among individuals in order to define appropriate objectives for the interventions. ABA intervention requires that proper and objective techniques be established to define and set the pace to be initiated towards the intervention agenda. The intervention need to relative the student needs. It is important to note that continuous assessment is of necessity in order to monitor the intervention process and its success. The goals must be in a position to measure the learner advancements (Liddell 1987). ABA within the working environment ABA as a concept has been continuously been applied in bringing individuals into working team that are more responsible and experienced to serve in particular functions within the organization. Behaviors have also proven to play a big part in determining the kind of employee that should join the working team. The department of human resource management for example requires that someone who joins the administration team be a person who is able to understand as well as interpret the various behaviors expressed by individuals in order to be in a position to provide the most appropriate services to the employees (Rogers 2008). Its important even the Chief Executive Officer to be a person of moral character in order to be a role model to the rest of the employees who may be learning from him as the leader of the company (Kazdin 1978). It is important that the senior level managers exhibit good moral behaviors to the junior employees in order to be able to understand the divergent needs of their employees (Miltenberger, 2008). The limitations of Applied Behavioral Analysis Applied behavioral analysis has demonstrated a number of capabilities that can be applied by individuals who are in different environmental contexts to learn specific skills. For example, we have taken a detailed discussion of what ABA can be used to do in assisting individuals to learn different skills (Miltenberger, 2008). However, ABA, like any scientific concept has its own limitations that need to be taken into consideration when applying the concept (Bailey 2008). For, example, ABA as discussed early indicates that individuals can learn important skills through well defined goals and objectives of the analysis. The needs of different persons differ from each other greatly and therefore each case requires special attention in order to provide appropriately for the need (Wolery 2009).This pose a great challenge in trying to categorize individual needs in to avail appropriate techniques for them. The rate of transformation from one individual varies greatly and there are those individuals that can learn fast as well as those that require close supervision in order to make a step in their learning process. This inhibits the rapidness of the learning process, in fact, it needs a lot of time in order to attend to individual needs something that may delay the process of learning (Cooper 2001). Since there is great need for ABA intervention, different individuals have now joined the practitioners in the name of doing ABA. Some practitioners and agencies have chosen to offer home care, while others have established private institutions and consultant firms to assist in providing behavioral support to the needy (Heward 2005). However, this has been faced with such a big challenge in that not all of these practitioners have the practical experiences and knowledge to work in the field of behavioral analysis given that most of them do not meet the minimum requirement to practice behavioral analysis. Family members are now taking precautionary measures before allowing any individual to do ABA on behalf of them (Jernha, 2003). Like the medical profession, where individuals are expected to work as professionals, the ABA programs need those individuals that are qualified and who can be able to supervise learners who have difficulties in developing their own behaviors (Flora 2004). The profession actually demands that individuals that are working within the field be approved and registered by the Board of Certified Behavior Analysts in order to offer a more professional behavioral analysis. Therefore, ABA is facing very difficult time in trying to develop the profession because of the inadequate personnel to serve in the field where the need for the services has been seen to increase over years (Lithna, 2009). References Bailey J. (2008). Licensing behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis Digest. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Cooper; G. (2001). Applied Behavior Analysis. Columbus: Merrill. Feldman, M.P. & Broadhurst, A. (1976). Theoretical and experimental bases of the behaviour therapies. London: John Wiley & Sons. Flora, S. (2004). The power of reinforcement. Albany: State University of New York Press. Heward, W. (2005). Focus on behavior analysis in education: Achievements, challenges, and opportunities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Merrill. Jernha, K., (2003). Behaviour understanding. London: Macmillan. Miltenberger, R. (2008). Behavior modification principles and procedures, 4th Ed. California: Thomson Higher Education. Kazdin, A. E. (1978). History of Behavior Modification. Baltimore: University Park Press. Liddell, A., (1987). Methods of Changing Behaviour. London: Longman. Lithna, J. (2009). Autism Speaks. It's time for lawmakers to listen. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall. Martin, G. & Pear, J. (2007). Behaviour modification: What it is and how to do it, 8th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Miltenberger, R., G., (2008). Behavior modification principles and procedures, 4th Ed. California: Thomson Higher Education. Rogers, S., (2008). Evidence-based comprehensive treatments for early autism. Journal of Clinical Child Adolesc Psychol.” Doi, PMID  Sarafino, E. (1996). Principles of Behavior Change. John Wiley and Sons, NY. Skinner, B. (2004). About Behaviorism. New York: Knopf. Wolery, M. (2009). “Comprehensive synthesis of early intensive behavioral interventions.” J Autism Dev Disord . Doi, PMID. Read More

If stimulus follows a behavior closely, it usually results to an increase of future frequency of the behavior (Kazdin 1978). Stimulus addition after an event serves as a reinforcer and is referred to as positive reinforcement. However, in case of event removal, it serves as a reinforcer and it is referred to as negative reinforcement. Punishment on the other hand is a process whereby an outcome or consequence that follows a behavior immediately reduces the behavior’s future frequency. Punishment can be positive (when a stimulus is added) or negative (when stimulus is removed).

Temporal contiguity takes place when two stimuli are closely experienced in respect to time resulting to an association between them. Temporal contiguity affects largely the association between the reinforcer/punisher and operant behavior in operant conditioning. Contingency on the other hand is unseen event that occurs in future and it is not predictable with certainty. Types of antecedents include environmental cues, Social factors, cognitive, physical and Motivation. Cognitive antecedents includes beliefs that are drug related like “drug use is likely to improve the mood”, this is a though that is likely to facilitate a certain belief (Liddell 1987).

Physical antecedent to use of substance usually involve yearning and withdrawal sign. Furthermore individuals are likely to use things in order to deal with other physical signs which might not be related to withdrawal or yearning. Environmental cues involve several various changes in setting that are likely to prevent or decrease the behavior problem. Positive consequences According to Skinner’s theory known as S-R theory, operant conditioning can be used as a reinforcement to assist in achieving response from an organism.

The reinforcement could be a verbal comment of praise, giving of good results as well as showing satisfaction in relation to a certain action. According to B. f. Skinner, operant conditioning can also be used to administer punishment as way of reinforcing a certain character. Negative consequences Frequent condition leads to development of a habit within the organism. According to Skinner, the problem with that kind of habit is that once the reinforcement or stimuli is withdrawn, there is a likelihood of opposition and repellant from the organism (Liddell 1987).

Another problem with operate conditioning is that once the organism is put into a certain environmental condition, regardless of the positivity or the negativity of the stimuli, it will tend to influence the behavior of that organism. Application of behavioral analysis Learning Behavioral analysis plays a vital role in a learning environment. Give an example of a teacher in class who wants his students to know the concept of food nutrition and the various food spices that add up to a balanced diet.

The first step the teacher may decide at first is to introduce certain fruits that are more famous to the students before presenting the more complex ones. The process will give a lot of eagerness to explore more from what is already known to the unknown. This is important since it reinforces the students’ skills and makes the student think even more. Actually, through behavioral analysis, it is easy to learn and comprehend more complicated behaviors that are perceived to be vital in our daily life (Kazdin 1978).

The use of behavioral analysis has proven applicable in learning settings. In the 1960s, a behavioral scientist started working with children who suffered from the inability to learn. These pioneers started their learning process by imitating the elderly ones as well as the colleagues (Liddell 1987). The situation led to the introduction of more behavioral techniques which helped children learn more complicated skills. The techniques used were situation oriented and they could the divergent needs of children especially from learning simple skills to more complex ones.

Application of ABA in Autism Autism is the condition that has been associated with difficultness in learning.

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