Unit 2

Biological Basis of Behavior and Measuring Behavior

The questions about which factors most strongly influence human behavior have plagued psychologists for centuries.

Today, most experts agree that behavior is the result of the interplay between nature (biological factors) and nurture (environmental factors).

For example, a child born with a neurological deficit resulting in a learning impairment may face challenges in school.

However, environmental stimulation and appropriate supports may be able to benefit that child significantly.

As ABA professionals, you will focus on modifying behaviors through environmental supports.

Nonetheless, it is still critical to have a solid understanding of how innate factors may influence your clients' behaviors.

This week, we will review the physiological and genetic basis of behavior.

Additionally, we will cover the importance of appropriately measuring behaviors, especially those targeted for change.

Selecting a problematic behavior in a client --  for example, tantruming -- is one of the first steps in assessing and measuring behavior.

Learning how to properly select the target behavior and define it is needed before interventions can be designed.

Our work for this week will allow you to practice thinking about and defining target behaviors.

Reading: The reading for this unit will provide you with an overview of how biology and genetics can influence behavior in humans. We also will read about how behaviors are commonly measured in ABA practice and research.

Read Chapters 3 and 4 (pp. 47-95) in your text, Applied Behavior Analysis, which discuss how we define and measure behavior in ABA research and practice.

Web Resource:  You'll read an article about behavioral genetics.

Read about behavioral genetics at this Human Genome Project Information site:

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/behavior.shtml

Discussion: There are two discussion questions for this unit.

This week, we'll discuss the research evidence in support of the biological model of behavior. Nature vs. Nurture

In addition, you'll get to practice writing about and defining a problematic target behavior of your choice. Target Behavior

Seminar Discussion: Our seminar for this unit will explore the components and issues related to accurate measurement of behavior as well as the impact of physical processes on emotional states

The seminar PowerPoint will be available following each seminar under our doc sharing tab.

You got your green eyes from your mother, and your freckles from your father.

But where did you get your thrill-seeking seeking personality and talent for singing?

Did you learn these from your parents or was it predetermined by your genes?

While it's clear that physical characteristics are hereditary, the genetic waters get a bit more murky when it comes to an individual's behavior, intelligence, and personality.

How do nature (biology) and nurture (environment) interact to produce development?

Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture

The “grand-daddy” of psychological debates.

Dates back at least to Plato & Aristotle

Nature = genetic, biologically inherited dispositions.

Nurture = cumulative effects of experiences in the physical and social environments

The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature) versus personal experiences ("nurture") in determining or causing individual differences in physical and behavioral traits.

Which has the greater influence in early childhood development? Nature or nurture?

Ultimately, the old argument of nature vs. nurture has never really been won.

We do not yet know how much of what we are is determined by our DNA and how much by our life experience.

But we do know that both play a part.

Behavioral genetics is the field of biology that studies the role of genetics in animal (including human) behavior. The field is an overlap of genetics and psychology.

Behavioral genetics is the branch of genetics that deals with inheritance of behavioral and psychological traits.

Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) was the first scientist to study heredity and human behavior systematically.

The term "genetics" did not even appear until 1909, only 2 years before Galton's death.

With or without a formal name, the study of heredity always has been, at its core, the study of biological variation.

Human behavioral genetics, a relatively new field, seeks to understand both the genetic and environmental contributions to individual variations in human behavior.

Recent trends in behavior genetics have indicated an additional focus toward researching the inheritance of human characteristics typically studied in developmental psychology.

For instance, a major focus in developmental psychology has been to characterize the influence of parenting styles on children.

However, in most studies, genes are a confounding variable.

Because children share 50% of their genes with each parent, any observed effects of parenting styles could be effects of having many of the same genes as a parent (e.g. harsh aggressive parenting styles have been found to correlate with similar aggressive child characteristics: is it the parenting or the genes?).

Thus, behavior genetics research is currently undertaking to distinguish the effects of the family environment from the effects of genes.

This branch of behavior genetics research is becoming more closely associated with mainstream developmental psychology as it shifts its focus to the heritability of such factors as emotional self-control, attachment, social functioning, aggressiveness, etc.

Genes do not cause behavior, they make behavior more or less likely, and the behavioral consequences of the genetic instructions depend on the environment.

Biology Experience

Reciprocal Interactions Between Biology & Experience

1. Screening2. Defining problem or criteria for

achievement3. Pinpointing target behaviors4. Monitoring progress5. Following-up

Methods to identify and define targets for behavior change

Identify relevant factors that may inform or influence intervention

In applied behavior analysis, assessment guides the identification of target behaviors and the development of interventions.

Assessment begins with a broad scope and uses the information gathered to narrow its focus.

Each of these methods provides a different source of information and the methods are therefore used in conjunction to obtain a more complete understanding of a person’s behavior.

Determining the social significance of behavior is a critical step in the assessment process.

Behaviors identified for change must be socially significant to the persons and contribute to the quality of their daily life.

Through a process of screening, defining problems or goals, specifying target behaviors, monitoring, and following up on progress, assessment guides all aspects of behavior change.

The four major methods for obtaining assessment information are interviews, checklists, tests, and direct observations.

Some of the ways behavior can have social significance include if it is relevant, if it increases persons’ access to their environment, or if it is age-appropriate.

Typically there is more than one behavior of interest or concern.

When multiple behaviors are identified, they must be prioritized for intervention.

This can be done by rating the behaviors against key questions related to the behavior’s relative danger, frequency, long-standing existence, potential for reinforcement, relevance for future skill development and independent functioning, reduced negative attention from others, likelihood of success, and cost.

Once a target behavior has been identified, it must be carefully and completely defined in observable and measurable terms.

A good definition is objective, clear, and discriminative between what is and what is not an example of the target behavior.

Well-written target behavior definitions are necessary in order to accurately and reliably measure behavior and to aggregate, compare, and interpret data.

Well-written definitions are also necessary to guide ongoing program decisions, apply interventions consistently and accurately, and provide accountability.

In addition to defining the target behavior, the criteria for changing the behavior must also be defined.

The criteria must reflect the social significance of the behavior.

The outcome criteria should specify the extent of change before intervention efforts begin.

Two ways to determine socially valid performance are to assess the performance of people determined to be highly competent and to experimentally manipulate different levels of performance to determine optimal results.

Measurement is the process of applying quantitative labels to observed properties of events using a standard set of rules.

Scientists use measurement to operationalize empiricism.

Applied behavior analysts measure behavior to answer questions about the existence and nature of functional relations between socially significant behavior and environmental variables.

Practitioners use measurement to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and to guide decisions regarding treatment.

There are three dimensional qualities of behavior: repeatability, temporal extent, and temporal locus.

Measures of repeatability include count, rate or frequency, and celeration.

Duration is used to measure temporal extent. Measures of temporal locus include response latency and interresponse time.

Derivative measures that combine two forms of data are frequently used in applied behavior analysis, including percentage and trials-to-criterion.

Topography and magnitude provide useful information about behavior parameters though they are not fundamental dimensional qualities.

Procedures for measuring behavior involve event recording, timing, and various time sampling methods.

Event recording encompasses a variety of procedures for detecting and recording the number of times a behavior is observed.

Timing procedures use different timing devices (e.g., stopwatch) and procedures to measure duration, response latency, and interresponse time.

Time sampling refers to a variety of methods for observing and recording behavior during intervals or at specific moments in time.

Time sampling procedures include whole-interval, partial-interval, momentary time sampling, and planned activity check.

Certain behavior can also be measured after it has occurred using permanent products.

Computer-assisted measurement has become more sophisticated and easy to use, allowing practitioners to simultaneously record multiple behaviors.

Each method has benefits and produces its own artifacts due to the way it measures behavior.

Therefore measurement methods must be carefully matched to the environmental variables, available resources, and behavior of interest.

Special Connections www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/index.php

This website offers a variety of information and tools for teachers. There is specific information about measuring behavior if you click on Behavior Plans, Functional Behavior Assessment, and then Teacher Tools. The site is teacher-friendly and offers a lot of information, including other sources.

Dr. Mac’s Amazing Behavior Management Advice Sitewww.behavioradvisor.comThis site offers advice about behavior management, even offering “how to do it” pages. There is a specific section on assessing and measuring behavior with links to topics that include Behavioral Recording and Functional Behavior Assessment.

University of Minnesota, Early Childhood Behavior Project: Functional Assessmenthttp://education.umn.edu/ceed/projects/preschoolbehavior/strategies/fa.htm#Direct%20Observation

This site discusses indirect and direct observations, as well as environmental manipulation. It also refers to important assessment and observation tools and methods.

Closing Thoughts or Questions?