Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the scientific study and application of principles of behavior to improve human behaviors that are recognized as important to society (Baer & colleagues, 1968). The redundancy of the term behavior in this definition is purposeful; it reflects the overall emphasis and defining feature of the field. Whereas other psychological models attempt to measure and sometimes change thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and awareness, behavior is the hallmark of ABA. Behavior is what is measured and behavior is what is changed.

The number and types of behaviors that are significant to society seem almost limitless—a few examples are aberrant behaviors like self-injury, deviant behaviors like stealing, unsafe behaviors like poor driving, and not enough behavior like when a child in a classroom cannot give the right answer to a teacher's question. The list could go on indefinitely. Scientists in the field of ABA (behavior analysts) take their lead from society in terms of which behaviors they study. To behavior analysts, however, there are really only two types of behavior problems—behavioral excesses in which there is too much of a behavior and behavioral deficits in which there is too little of a behavior. Aberrant behaviors, deviant behaviors, and unsafe behaviors are examples of behavioral excesses; not giving the right answer in class is an example of a behavioral deficit.

The techniques studied and used by behavior analysts are defined in terms of how they influence behavior and whether they increase or decrease behavior. These techniques, therefore, have grown out of “principles of behavior.” Because society places a high priority on education and pours enormous amounts of money and resources into schools, applied behavior analysts have been systematically studying and refining school-based applications of ABA by applying principles of behavior to school behaviors of students, excesses (e.g., aggression) and deficits (e.g., poor writing) alike.

A key to the study of human behavior is the necessity for an operational definition for measuring behavior. Behavior analysts use an operational definition to define a behavior as clearly and precisely as possible so that all observers can agree on what is being measured. For example, on-task behavior may be thought of as “paying attention.” However, paying attention is ambiguous and very difficult to measure. When exactly is the child paying attention to the teacher? If we define on-task behavior as a child having his or her eyes focused on the teacher, worksheet, or book, then all observers are more likely to measure the same behavior. Looking at the teacher, worksheet, or book, therefore, becomes the operational definition of ontask behavior.

Another key concept in studying human behavior is the identification of functional relationships between behaviors and events in the environment.

[Page 24]Behavior is purposeful and changes as a function of changes in the environment. A preliminary goal of a behavioral treatment program is to identify these functional relationships between a person's environment and his or her behavior. Next, environmental events are modified in order to change a person's behavior. For example, in the classroom a child may misbehave to gain teacher attention. Teacher attention is a controlling variable (i.e., has a functional relationship with the behavior). By identifying this relationship between child behavior and teacher attention, the way in which the teacher pays attention to the student can be restructured so that the child would be required to engage in positive behaviors to gain teacher attention. If the identification of the controlling variable is correct and the treatment plan directly alters the behavior–environment relationship (i.e., teacher attention controlling student behavior), the student will begin to display more appropriate classroom behavior and less misbehavior.

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