16 Apr Application of Respondent (Classical) Conditioning

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is heavily influenced by operant conditioning. The vast majority of your curriculum in ABA focuses on operant conditioning and its applications. However, respondent (classical) conditioning also has its appropriate applications in ABA.

The behaviorist assumptions that all learning occurs through observable interactions with the environment and the environment shapes behavior set the stage for respondent (classical) conditioning.

Perhaps you, or someone you know, was the victim of bullying at school. The bullying often creates emotional distress for the victim. Using the behaviorist assumptions, bullying is the interaction with the environment and the emotional distress is the behavior, or reflex, shaped by the environment. Classical conditioning involves placing a neutral signal before a naturally occurring reflex. If a neutral stimulus (e.g., school) is paired with the bullying, school will come to evoke the emotional distress. At this point, the once neutral stimulus becomes known as the conditioned stimulus and evokes a learned, conditioned response of emotional distress.

Quantifying and collecting data about observable behaviors can be used to identify effective, evidence-based therapeutic interventions that can be helpful in changing undesirable behaviors. For this Assignment, you will evaluate the role of respondent (classical) conditioning and how it might be used in practice to better understand a client’s behavior.

Resources

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare:

· Review this week’s Learning Resources to gain an understanding of respondent (classical) conditioning.

· Consider how respondent (classical) conditioning might be used to better understand client behavior.

Assignment (1–2 pages)

· Why is it important to not forget the role of respondent (classical) conditioning as a practicing behavior analyst?

· Give an original example of how respondent (classical) conditioning could be used in your practice to better understand a client’s behavior.

Be sure to support your Assignment with specific references to behavior-analytic theory and research. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your Assignment. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.

By Day 7 of Week 8

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Rubric

PSYC_6717_Week8_Assignment_Rubric