1 Syllabus Spring 2013 Title Behavior Modification Number Psych 322-001 Discipline Psychology Description Behavior modification is a comprehensive technology for the improvement of behavior based on scientifically derived and empirically demonstrated principles of learning. Behavior modification has been applied to a wide variety of persons and many different types of issues. This course is designed to impart fundamental knowledge on the philosophy, principles, and procedures of behavior modification and to illustrate its evidence-based application in a variety of areas. Course dates Last day to add and to drop w/o penalty: January 29, 2013 Last day to drop: February 22, 2013 Location Robinson A 249 Days Tuesday/Thursday Times 10:30 pm - 11:45 pm Prerequisites Psych 324 or permission of the instructor Course Goals Review elementary principles and procedures of behavior modification. Acquaint students with empirical and theoretical underpinnings of the field by providing advanced discussion and references to the classical and current research literature in the field. Enable students to think about behavior modification critically and creatively. Provide practical know-how skills Course Requirements and Expectations Students are expected to attend class regularly and to participate actively in class activities and projects. After each section throughout the course a short multiple-choice quiz will be made available on-line for a limited period of time during which students have to answer the questions and submit their answers electronically to the instructor. In addition, there will be practicum assignment, a midterm and a final exam.
2 Course Grading Quizzes A total of 27 Blackboard quizzes with approximately 13 multiple choice questions each will be available online, typically one quiz after each lesson. Each correct answer earns 1 point. The purpose of the quizzes is to self-evaluate your mastery of the most recent material presented in class. Note: Quizzes will be available for a limited time window only - from the evening of the day of class until midnight of the day before the next class. Points 351 Midterm - 50 midterm questions - 9 points for each correct answer. 450 Final Exam - 50 final exam questions - 9 points each for each correct answer. Practicum reports A total of 13 group practicum assignments are scheduled. Each group member of a practicum group earns a maximum of 20 points for adequate completion of the exercise. Maximum number of points to be earned: 1511 450 260 % Earned Points Grade 95-100 1435 1511 A 90-94 1359 1434 A- 85-89 1282 1358 B+ 80-85 1206 1281 B+ 75-79 1129 1205 B- passing 70-74 1053 1128 C+ 65-69 976 1052 C 60-64 900 975 C- 55-59 823 899 D 0-54 747 822 F failing University Honor Code This is a reminder that the University Honor Code will be followed in this course. Each student is responsible for knowing the rules, regulations, requirements, and academic policies of the university. Students in Need of Accommodations If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that office.
3 Instructor Information Name Email Office location Office hours Phone Johannes Rojahn, Ph.D. jrojahn@gmu.edu Center for Psychological Services 10340 Democracy Lane, Suite 202 Wednesday, 12:00 am - 1:00 pm (or by appointment) 703-993-4241 Textbook Required reading Martin, G. & Pear, J. (2011). Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 0-205-79272-3. 1 Introduction Date Tuesday, 1/22/13 2 Orientation Areas of application Date Thursday, 1/24/13 What is behavior? Weekly Schedule Psych 322 - Spring 2013 What is behavior modification? What is behavioral assessment? Misconceptions Areas of applications: Parenting and child management; education; self-management of personal problems; medical and health care; business, industry, and government; sport psychology, etc. Readings Chapters 1 and 2 3 Positive reinforcement Date Tuesday, 1/29/13 Readings Chapter 3 Quiz 1 & 2 4 Factors influencing positive reinforcement of positive reinforcement Effective application Conditioned reinforcement
4 Date Thursday, 1/31/13 Unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers Factors influencing effectiveness of conditioned reinforcement of conditioned reinforcement Effective use of conditioned reinforcement Readings Chapter 4 Quiz 3 5 Extinction Date Tuesday, 2/5/13 Extinction Factors influencing the effectiveness of extinction Effective application of extinction Readings Chapter 5 Quiz 4 Assignments Practicum 1: Positive reinforcement 6 Intermittent reinforcement Date Thursday, 2/7/13 Ratio schedules Interval schedules Duration schedules Concurrent schedules of intermittent reinforcement Readings Chapter 6 Quiz 5 7 Intermittent reinforcement to decrease behavior Date Tuesday, 2/12/13 Differential reinforcement of low rates Differential reinforcement of zero responding Differential reinforcement of incompatible responding of schedules to decrease behavior Effective use of intermittent schedules Readings Chapter 7 Quiz 6 Assignments Practicum 2: Extinction 8 Stimulus discrimination and generalization Date Thursday, 2/14/13 Stimulus discrimination learning and stimulus control
5 S D and S Δ Stimulus generalization Effectiveness of stimulus discrimination training Readings Chapter 8 Quiz 7 Assignments Practicum 3: Schedules of reinforcement 9 Fading Date Tuesday, 2/19/13 Fading Effectiveness of fading of fading Readings Chapter 9 Quiz 8 10 Shaping Date Thursday, 2/21/13 Shaping Effectiveness of shaping Readings Chapter 10 Quiz 9 Assignments Practicum 4: Stimulus control 11 Chaining Date Tuesday, 2/26/13 Stimulus-response chaining Methods for teaching a behavior chain Comparing chaining, shaping and fading Effectiveness of chaining Readings Chapter 11 Quiz 10 12 Punishment Date Thursday, 2/28/13 The principle of punishment Types of punishers Effectiveness of punishment Ethics of punishment of punishment Readings Chapter 12
6 Quiz 11 13 Escape and avoidance conditioning Date Tuesday, 3/5/13 Escape conditioning Avoidance conditioning Effective application Readings Chapter 13 Quiz 12 14 Respondent conditioning Date Thursday, 3/7/13 Operant vs. respondent behavior Principle of respondent conditioning Higher order conditioning Counter-conditioning Operant vs. respondent conditioning Readings Chapter 14 Quiz 13 Assignments Practicum 5: Escape and avoidance conditioning Midterm Friday, 3/8/13 through 3/10/13 (via Blackboard) Spring Break 3/11/13 3/16/13 15 Date Tuesday, 3/19/13 Quiz 14 Readings Chapter 15 16 Combining operant and respondent conditioning Operant-respondent interactions Respondent and operant components of emotions and thinking Private thoughts and feelings Generality of behavioral change Date Thursday, 3/21/13 Generality Effectiveness of programming generality of operant and respondent behavior of generality Programming generality
7 Readings Chapter 16 Quiz 15 Assignments 17 Date Tuesday, 3/26/10 Practicum 6: Respondent and operant components of emotions Existing stimulus control - rules, goals Rules, goals Readings Chapter 17 Quiz 16 Assignments 18 Practicum 7: Programming generality Existing stimulus control - modeling, guidance, and situational inducement Date Thursday, 3/28/13 Readings Chapter 18 Quiz 17 19 Modeling, guidance, and situational inducement Motivation Date Tuesday, 4/2/13 Modeling Physical guidance Readings Chapter 19 Quiz 18 Assignments 20 Situational inducement Practicum 8: Rules and goals Date Thursday, 4/4/13 Behavioral assessment: Initial considerations Minimal phases of a program Baseline assessment Why data? Readings Chapter 20 Quiz 19 Assignments 21 Behavioral assessment compared to traditional assessment Practicum 9: Modeling, physical guidance, situational inducement Direct behavioral assessment Date Tuesday, 4/9/13 Readings Chapter 21 Characteristics of recorded behavior Behavior observation methods Assessing the accuracy of observational data
8 Quiz 21 22 Functional assessment and analysis Date Thursday, 4/11/13 Approaches of functional assessment Major causes of problem behavior Medical causes of problem behavior Guidelines for conducting functional assessment and analysis Readings Chapter 21 Quiz 22 Assignments Practicum 10: Behavioral assessment 23 Research - single subject experimental designs Date Tuesday, 4/16/13 Reversal-replication designs Multiple baseline designs Changing criterion design Alternating treatments design Data analysis and interpretation Readings Chapter 23 Quiz 22 Assignments Practicum 11: Functional assessment 24 Planning, applying, and evaluating a treatment program Date Thursday, 4/18/13 Should you design a program? Selecting and implementing an assessment procedure Strategies of program design and implementation Program maintenance and evaluation Readings Chapter 24 Quiz 23 25 Token Economies Date Tuesday, 4/23/13 Setting up a Token Economy Procedures The manual Programming generality Ethical considerations Readings Chapter 25 Quiz 24 26
9 Self-control Date Thursday, 4/25/13 Causes of self-control programs A model for self-control Steps in a self-control program Readings Chapter 26 Quiz 25 Assignments Practicum 12: Token reinforcement in a self-improvement program 27 Clinical behavior therapy Date Tuesday, 4/30/13 Behavior treatments of simple phobias Systematic self-desensitization Readings Chapter 28 Quiz 26 Assignments Practicum 13: Self-control 28 Cognitive behavior modification Date Thursday, 5/2/13 "Thinking", "feeling", and private behavior Cognitive behavioral procedures Evaluation of cognitive techniques Behavioral interpretation of cognitive behavior techniques Readings Chapter 27 Quiz 28 Final Exam Tuesday, 5/7/13, 6:00 AM until 5/9/13 11:55 PM (via Blackboard)