Behavior class
Providing for Generalization of Behavior Change
Chapter 11
We have learned about principles that change behavior
Reducing and eliminating problem behaviors
Strengthen appropriate replacement behaviors
This is all meaningless unless the behavior change lasts.
Settings
Instructors
environments
Introduction
Remember Baer, Wolf and Risey (1968)?
“A behavioral change may be said to have generality if it proves durable over time, if it appears in a wide variety of possible environments, or it spreads to a whole variety of related behaviors.
Generalization is the expansion of a student’s capability of performance beyond those conditions se for initial acquisition.
Going Back….
We discussed the hierarchy for designing objectives back in chapter 3?
Response levels of acquisition, fluency, maintenance and generalization.
Maintenance and generalization objectives differ from acquisition objectives in 2 ways:
Conditions under which the bx is to be performed
Criteria defined for performance
Remember When….
GEORGE AND THE SODA MACHIENE
Evaluation
Generalization: when a response that has been trained in a specific setting with a specific instructor occurs in a different setting or with a different instructor.
Alias: transfer of training, stimulus generalization
Response Maintenance: tendency of a learned behavior to occur after programed contingencies have been withdrawn
Alias: maintenance, resistance to extinction, durability, behavioral persistence
Response Generalization: referring to unprogrammed changes in similar behaviors when a target behavior is modified
Alias: concomitant or concurrent behavior change
Types of Generalization
Stimulus Generalization: when responses that have been reinforced in the presence of a SD occur in the presence of different but similar stimuli.
Stimulus Class: A group of stimuli that should occasion the same response
The more similar the stimuli, the more likely it is stimulus generalization will occur.
Example
Stimulus Generalization
Examples of Stimulus Class
A
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Behaviors that are taught should occur even after systematic ABA procedures have been withdrawn.
“When am I ever going to use this?”
Math problems--balancing checkbooks, income tax forms, multiply measurements.
VERY IMPORTANT PART OF TEACHING
Maintenance
Response Generalization: Changing one behavior will result in change in other, similar behaviors
Similar behaviors are referred to as a response class
Response Generalization
Examples of Response Class
Questions for Programming Generalization
Has the skill been acquired?
Can the student acquire reinforcers (natural or otherwise) without performing the skill?
Does the student perform part of the skill?
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Guidelines to Facilitate Generalization
Teach target behavior in natural setting
Train across individuals
Train in variety of settings
Quickly shift between artificial cues and reinforcers to natural cues and reinforcers
Transition from CRF to intermittent reinforcement
Increase delays in delivery of reinforcement
Reinforce generalization
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Techniques for Assessing and Training for Generalization
Train and Hope
Sequentially Modify
Introduce to Natural Maintaining Contingencies
Train Sufficient Exemplars
Train Loosely
Use Indiscriminable Contingencies
Program Common Stimuli
Mediate Generalization
Train to Generalize
(Stokes & Baer, 1977)
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Train and Hope
Some behaviors do generalize without direct training
Train and hope method more common in individuals with mild disabilities, not common for individuals with severe disabilities
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Sequentially Modify
Generalization is promoted by applying the same techniques that successfully changed behavior in one setting to all settings where the target behavior is desirable
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Introduce to Natural Maintaining Contingencies
Ways in which to transfer to natural contingencies:
Observe the students environment
Choose behaviors subject to trapping
Teach students to recruit reinforcers from the environment
Teach students to recognize reinforcement when it is delivered
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Train Sufficient Exemplars
General Case Programming: emphasizes using sufficient members of a class of stimuli to ensure that students will be able to perform the task on any member of the class of stimuli
Using Multiple Settings, Teachers, and Activities: evidence that training in a variety of settings generalizes the skills taught to novel settings
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Train Loosely
Traditional instruction for students with disabilities (especially severe disabilities) extremely structured, some research indicates that less structured instruction may assist with generalization.
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Use Indiscriminable Contingencies
Employ thin intermittent schedules of reinforcement
Important to use schedules of reinforcement that make it difficult for the student to determine when contingencies of reinforcement are to occur.
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Program Common Stimuli
Increase similarity of training situation to natural situation
Introduce elements of training situation to natural environment
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Train to Generalize and Mediate Generalization
Train to Generalize:
Increase probability by reinforcing generalization as a response class
Lag schedule of reinforcement – teacher provides reinforcement only for responses that are different from the previous response to that cue (Lag 1) or the previous two responses (Lag 2),etc.
Mediate Generalization:
Students taught to monitor and report their own generalization of appropriate behavior
Self-Control
Self-Management
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After shopping with an adult, Ellie will get in the checkout line, wait her turn, put her items on the counter, and give the cashier a credit card. She will do these steps correctly and in order at four out of five stores: Dollar General, Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Giant, and Rite Aid.
More Examples