Basic ABA Terms for the RBT Exam

Cards · 60

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Scientific study of behavior principles applied systematically to improve socially significant behavior. Example: Teaching a non-verbal child to request items using PECS to reduce aggression.

Behavior

Any observable and measurable action of an organism that passes the Dead Man's Test. Example: Raising a hand, hitting a table, or saying hello.

Environment

The physical context and surroundings in which an organism exists and behaves. Example: A noisy therapy room with bright lights and toys on shelves.

Stimulus

An energy change that affects an organism through its receptor cells. Example: A loud doorbell ringing or a flashing red traffic light.

Antecedent

An environmental event or stimulus change occurring prior to a behavior. Example: An RBT presenting a math worksheet right before a client pushes it away.

Consequence

An environmental event or condition following a behavior that alters future frequency. Example: Praising a client immediately after they finish tying their shoes.

Three-Term Contingency (ABC)

The temporal sequence of Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence. Example: Antecedent: therapist says 'touch blue'; Behavior: client touches blue; Consequence: client gets a token.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a stimulus following a behavior that increases future probability of that behavior. Example: Giving a child a sticker for sharing a toy, causing sharing to increase.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an aversive stimulus following a behavior, increasing its future occurrence. Example: Turning off loud music when a client asks appropriately, increasing polite requests.

Positive Punishment

Adding an aversive stimulus immediately following a behavior, decreasing future frequency. Example: Saying a firm 'No' after a child climbs a bookcase, reducing climbing.

Negative Punishment

Removing a preferred stimulus immediately following a behavior, decreasing future frequency. Example: Taking away an iPad for 5 minutes after a child throws a toy.

Extinction

Withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, decreasing its rate. Example: Ignoring screaming maintained by attention until the screaming stops.

Extinction Burst

A temporary, predictable increase in frequency, intensity, or variability of behavior upon starting extinction. Example: A client screams louder and throws items when attention is first withheld.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of an extinguished behavior after a period of non-occurrence without reinforcement. Example: A previously extinguished tantrum briefly reappears weeks later.

Discriminative Stimulus (SD)

A stimulus signaling that reinforcement is available for a specific behavior. Example: An open sign on a store door or a therapist saying 'Match red'.

Stimulus Delta (S-Delta)

A stimulus signaling that reinforcement is not available for a specific response. Example: A 'Closed' sign on a door or a therapist withholding attention during an off-task behavior.

Motivating Operation (MO)

An environmental variable that alters reinforcing effectiveness of a stimulus and frequency of behavior. Example: Hunger increases the value of food and induces requesting snacks.

Establishing Operation (EO)

A motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer. Example: Depriving access to a favorite video game makes the game a more powerful reinforcer during session.

Abolishing Operation (AO)

A motivating operation that decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer. Example: Eating a large meal right before session diminishes the value of edible reinforcers.

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF / FR1)

Providing reinforcement after every single occurrence of the target behavior. Example: Giving a token every single time a learner identifies a letter correctly.

Intermittent Reinforcement (INT)

Providing reinforcement for only some occurrences of the target behavior to maintain it. Example: Delivering praise every 3 to 5 correct responses during a discrete trial block.

Fixed Ratio (FR) Schedule

Delivering reinforcement after a set, predictable number of responses. Example: FR3 means delivering a reinforcer after every third correct math problem completed.

Variable Ratio (VR) Schedule

Delivering reinforcement after an average, unpredictable number of responses. Example: Reinforcing on a VR5 schedule, delivering praise after 3, then 7, then 5 correct trials.

Fixed Interval (FI) Schedule

Reinforcing the first correct response following a set amount of elapsed time. Example: FI2 min gives a token for the first on-task response occurring after 2 minutes have passed.

Variable Interval (VI) Schedule

Reinforcing the first response following an unpredictable, average interval of elapsed time. Example: Delivering praise on average every 4 minutes when checking on independent play.

Operational Definition

An objective, clear, and complete description of a target behavior allowing accurate measurement. Example: Defining 'aggression' as forceful contact of open or closed hand with another's body.

Frequency

A direct count of each instance of a discrete behavior occurring within an observation period. Example: Recording that a client tapped their pencil 14 times during circle time.

Rate

The count of a behavior divided by the duration of time observed. Example: A client emitted 12 vocalizations per hour during free play.

Duration

The total amount of time from the onset to the offset of a behavior. Example: Starting a stopwatch when a tantrum begins and stopping it when it ends (e.g., 6 minutes).

Latency

The elapsed time between the presentation of a stimulus and the initiation of the response. Example: Timing 4 seconds between saying 'sit down' and the child beginning to sit.

Interresponse Time (IRT)

The elapsed time between two successive responses of the same behavior class. Example: Measuring 15 seconds between consecutive bites of food during lunch.

Whole Interval Recording

Recording whether the behavior occurred continuously throughout the entire interval, underestimating duration. Example: Marking a '+' only if the learner stayed seated for the full 10-second block.

Partial Interval Recording

Recording whether the behavior occurred at any point during the interval, overestimating frequency. Example: Marking a '+' if elopement occurred for even 1 second of a 15-second block.

Momentary Time Sampling

Recording whether the behavior is occurring at the exact moment the interval ends. Example: Glancing up at the chime every 1 minute to check if the client is engaged in work.

Permanent Product

Measuring behavior by evaluating its tangible, lasting effect on the environment. Example: Counting the number of correctly solved math problems on a completed worksheet.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

A structured instructional method breaking skills into discrete, repeated antecedent-response-consequence trials. Example: Presenting a flashcard, prompting a response, and reinforcing in rapid cycles.

Natural Environment Teaching (NET)

Teaching skills within typical daily routines using naturally occurring reinforcers and child-led interests. Example: Teaching color labeling using preferred cars the child chose on the carpet.

Task Analysis

Breaking down a complex behavioral sequence into smaller, teachable sequential steps. Example: Listing out the 8 individual physical steps required to wash hands.

Forward Chaining

Teaching the first step of a task analysis to mastery before adding subsequent steps sequentially. Example: Reinforcing putting soap on hands, while therapist completes remaining washing steps.

Backward Chaining

Therapist completes initial steps, teaching and reinforcing the final step first, working backwards. Example: Therapist puts shoe on and laces it, learner ties the final knot and gets praise.

Total Task Chaining

Teaching and prompting all steps of a task analysis during every single learning trial. Example: Guiding a client through every step of brushing teeth, prompting as needed on each step.

Prompt

An antecedent supplementary stimulus used to evoke the desired response when an SD alone fails. Example: Hand-over-hand guiding a child's hand to point to the letter 'A'.

Prompt Hierarchy

An organized progression of prompts arranged by level of intrusiveness. Example: Full physical to partial physical, modeling, gestural, verbal, to independent.

Prompt Fading

The gradual removal of assistance over trials so the target behavior shifts control to the natural SD. Example: Moving from a hand-over-hand physical prompt to a light tap at the elbow, then pointing.

Shaping

Systematically reinforcing successive approximations toward a terminal target behavior. Example: Reinforcing 'b', then 'ba', then 'ball' when teaching a learner to say the word 'ball'.

Stimulus Generalization

Emitting the learned response in the presence of untrained stimuli sharing similar properties. Example: Calling a sedan, an SUV, and a truck all 'car' without explicit instruction.

Response Generalization

Emitting untrained, functionally equivalent responses in the presence of the same stimulus. Example: Saying 'hi', 'hey', or waving when someone says 'hello'.

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)

Reinforcing a desirable replacement behavior while placing the problem behavior on extinction. Example: Reinforcing hand raising while putting calling out on extinction.

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)

Reinforcing a behavior that cannot physically occur at the same time as the target problem behavior. Example: Reinforcing keeping hands in pockets to eliminate skin-picking.

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Delivering reinforcement whenever the target problem behavior does not occur for a specified interval. Example: Giving a token every 5 minutes that zero instances of hitting occur.

Mand

A verbal operant evoked by an establishing operation and reinforced by receiving the specific item. Example: A thirsty client saying 'water' and receiving a cup of water.

Tact

A verbal operant evoked by a nonverbal sensory stimulus and maintained by generalized social reinforcement. Example: Seeing an airplane in the sky, saying 'airplane', and receiving praise 'Yes, it is!'.

Echoic

A verbal operant evoked by a vocal verbal stimulus that has point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity. Example: An RBT saying 'cookie' and the learner repeating 'cookie'.

Intraverbal

A verbal operant evoked by an antecedent verbal stimulus without point-to-point correspondence. Example: Therapist asking 'What is your name?' and the learner responding 'Sam'.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

A systematic method for identifying environmental variables maintaining a problem behavior. Example: An RBT collecting ABC data across sessions to help the BCBA determine behavior function.

Automatic Reinforcement

Reinforcement produced directly by the response itself, independent of social mediation by others. Example: Hand-flapping because of the internal sensory stimulation it produces.

Preference Assessment

Methods used to identify potential reinforcers based on client choices and engagement. Example: Presenting two toys simultaneously to see which one the learner selects first.

Token Economy

A reinforcement system where generalized conditioned reinforcers (tokens) are exchanged for backup reinforcers. Example: A client earns 5 stars for completed work, then trades them for 10 minutes of iPad.

Behavior Reduction Plan (BIP)

A written clinical document detailing operational definitions, functions, and intervention strategies for behaviors. Example: Following written steps to block self-injury and prompt functional communication.

Dual Relationship

A professional and personal conflict of interest an RBT must avoid according to the Ethics Code. Example: Babysitting for a client's family outside of therapy hours, which violates ethics.