Behavior Analysis Course

Lesson 1 • Science and the Study of Behaviour

Introduces the natural-science approach, empiricism, and the goals of prediction and control. Connects scientific methodology to ethical professional practice.

Lesson 2 • History of Behaviour Analysis

Traces the field from Pavlov and Thorndike through Skinner to modern applied practice. Contextualises current methods within their historical development.

Lesson 3 • Philosophy of Behaviourism

Covers radical behaviourism, methodological behaviourism, and their distinctions. Grounds the chapter by linking philosophical assumptions to scientific practice.

Lesson 1 • Dimensions of Behaviour

Covers frequency, duration, latency, interresponse time, and magnitude. Each dimension is matched to appropriate measurement strategies.

Lesson 2 • Interobserver Agreement

Explains how to calculate and interpret agreement between observers. Establishes reliability standards required for credible behavioural data.

Lesson 3 • Graphing and Visual Analysis

Covers standard celeration charts, equal-interval graphs, and data display conventions. Visual analysis is the primary tool for evaluating behavioural change.

Lesson 4 • Direct Observation Methods

Introduces continuous recording, interval recording, and time sampling. Students select methods based on behaviour characteristics and practical constraints.

Lesson 1 • Stimulus Generalisation and Discrimination

Explains generalisation gradients and discrimination training in respondent contexts. Prepares students to understand stimulus control across both conditioning types.

Lesson 2 • Extinction and Inhibition

Covers respondent extinction, spontaneous recovery, and conditioned inhibition. Connects these processes to practical intervention design.

Lesson 3 • Applied Respondent Techniques

Introduces systematic desensitisation, flooding, and counterconditioning. Demonstrates how respondent principles address fear and conditioned emotional reactions.

Lesson 1 • Schedules of Reinforcement

Analyses fixed and variable ratio and interval schedules and their behavioural effects. Schedule knowledge guides the design of durable behaviour change programmes.

Lesson 2 • Punishment Procedures

Covers positive and negative punishment, their effects, and ethical considerations. Students evaluate when punishment is warranted and how to minimise side effects.

Lesson 3 • Extinction in Operant Behaviour

Explains operant extinction, extinction bursts, and resurgence. Distinguishes operant extinction from respondent extinction introduced earlier.

Lesson 4 • Reinforcement Defined and Applied

Distinguishes positive and negative reinforcement by their functional effects. Correct identification of reinforcement is foundational to all intervention design.

Lesson 1 • Discrimination Training Procedures

Covers simultaneous, successive, and errorless discrimination training methods. Students select procedures based on learner characteristics and error tolerance.

Lesson 2 • Stimulus Control Fundamentals

Defines discriminative stimuli, S-delta, and the three-term contingency. Stimulus control is the mechanism linking antecedents to operant behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Concept Formation and Equivalence

Introduces stimulus equivalence, relational responding, and concept classes. These advanced topics extend stimulus control to complex human behaviour.

Lesson 1 • Functions of Problem Behaviour

Identifies the four primary behavioural functions: access, escape, attention, and automatic. Function identification is the prerequisite for effective intervention.

Lesson 2 • Function-Based Intervention Design

Matches antecedent and consequence strategies to identified behavioural function. Mismatched interventions are ineffective and may worsen problem behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Indirect and Descriptive Assessment

Covers interviews, rating scales, and ABC narrative recording. These methods generate hypotheses before experimental analysis is conducted.

Lesson 4 • Functional Analysis Methods

Teaches experimental functional analysis conditions and their interpretation. Experimental analysis provides the strongest evidence for behavioural function.

Lesson 1 • Prompting Strategies

Covers physical, model, gestural, and verbal prompts and their hierarchy. Prompt selection and fading determine the efficiency of skill acquisition.

Lesson 2 • Naturalistic Teaching Strategies

Introduces incidental teaching, natural environment training, and pivotal response training. Naturalistic methods promote generalisation and motivation in everyday contexts.

Lesson 3 • Discrete Trial Teaching

Structures skill instruction using antecedent, response, and consequence components. Discrete trial teaching maximises learning opportunities in structured sessions.

Lesson 4 • Task Analysis and Chaining

Teaches how to write task analyses and implement forward, backward, and total task chaining. Chaining builds complex multi-step skills from discrete components.

Lesson 1 • Logic of Single-Case Design

Explains the individual as the unit of analysis and the role of replication. Single-case designs provide experimental evidence without requiring group comparisons.

Lesson 2 • Reversal and Withdrawal Designs

Covers A-B, A-B-A, and A-B-A-B designs and their strengths and limitations. Reversal designs are the most direct demonstration of experimental control.

Lesson 3 • Visual Analysis and Decision-Making

Applies visual analysis criteria to single-case data for intervention decisions. Data-based decision-making is the hallmark of evidence-based behavioural practice.

Lesson 4 • Multiple Baseline Designs

Teaches multiple baseline across behaviours, settings, and participants. This design is used when reversal is impractical or ethically contraindicated.