Applied Behavior Analytics-Literature Review
Abstract
Applied behavioral analytics (ABA) is a multidisciplinary approach that is dedicated to understanding certain behaviors such as social interaction, communication, adaptive learning skills, grooming and hygiene, and job performance. ABA has its roots in the early work of Thorndike, Watson, and Pavlov on the respondent and operant conditioning. It makes use of scientific approaches and philosophies of behavior to bring change and improve the various behaviors and social interactions. Thus, ABA therapy is incorporated in the treatment plans of patients with developmental disabilities such as patients with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD disorders.
Ivan Pavlov was the first physiologist to conduct research in behavior. He studied conditioned reflex, where living things produced a reflex response towards a given stimulus, and in time, they are conditioned to respond using the same reflex to a different stimulus that links to the original stimulus. Thorndike, on the other hand, experimented with cats and realized that different species learn the same concept at different speeds. Watson believed that analyzing the mind was impossible and preferred to shit psychology from mind to behavior. Skinner, a behaviorist, invented the operant conditioning chamber, which measures the responses of a living organism to their immediate environment. Early works of the four psychologists led to the development of behaviorism which has led to study on environmental influences on human behavior In ABA therapy, there are seven dimensions that a practitioner should heed to, and they include generality, effective, technological, applies, conceptuality systematic, analytic and behavioral. Under conditioning are three concepts, which are preconditioning, conditioning, and postconditioning. On the other hand, the five dimensions of the operant condition include positive reinforcement, response cost, punishment cost, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Understanding the concepts behind applied behavior analysis, respondent conditioning, and operant conditioning enables practitioners to come up with the best approach in the treatment plan for the developmental disabilities populations.
References
Dumper, K., Jenkins, W., Lacombe, A., Lovett, M., Perlmutter, M. (n.d). A short history of behaviorism. Introduction to Psychology. Retrieved from https://opentext.wsu.edu/psych105/chapter/6-2-a-short-history-of-learning-and-behaviorism/
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (1997). An introduction to operant (instrumental) conditioning. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/behavior/operant.html
Washington State University. (n.d). Respondent Conditioning. Principles of learning and behavior. Pressbooks. Retrieved from https://opentext.wsu.edu/principles-of-learning-and-behavior/chapter/module-4-respondent-conditioning/
Carlye Center. (2019). Seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@carlylecenter/7-dimensions-of-applied-behavior-analysis-5eb85128cf0a#:~:text=It%20is%20important%20that%20an,)%20Analytic%2C%207)%20Behavioral.