cognitive / behavioural – identifying & specifying 1st step in identifying and specifying...

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying

1st Step in identifying and specifying behaviour is to understand the elements of behaviour.

Antecedent Behaviour Consequence

Broad Behavioural Elements

Identifying and Specifying Behaviours


Specific Behavioural Elements

Topography -the form of the behaviour - the physical appearance

Amount – divided into frequency (how often) and duration ( how long)

Intensity - effectiveness of the behaviour in meeting the goal


Specific Behavioural Elements

Stimulus control - conditions under which the behaviour typically occurs, or is absent

Latency – time elapsing from the stimulus to the response

Quality arbitrary judgment that one of the above elements is significant in terms of meeting the goal of the behaviour



2nd step is developing clarity in understanding behaviour is to be able to communicate it to others clearly and with specificity.


Behaviours vs Constructs

Pinpoint -

Construct -

Also called a summary label

Evaluates or judges the quality of certain behaviours

They are broad descriptive terms that are open to interpretation

Accurate identification of a behaviour is called pinpointing


Accurate Pinpointing

Is aggressive to others construct

Acts rudely to other people construct

Plays with children his own age

Pinpointed behaviour

Should exercise more self control

Construct

Kicks peers Pinpointed behaviour


Pinpointing Behaviour

The Stranger Test

Anyone who does not know the client can accurately interpret the behaviour in the same way as you do


Types of Behaviours that we describe

Maladaptive Behaviour

The behaviour we hope to change

Target Behaviour Adaptive behaviour we hope to introduce



3rd Step is to identify the behaviour as maladaptive

“any behaviour that interferes with the physical emotional, social or academic well being of the person or another”

Maladaptive Behaviour

So What Test – is the behaviour maladaptive? If the behaviour doesn’t change so what!!


Causes of Maladaptive Behaviour Problems

Behaviours maintained by the attention from others Behaviours maintained by self stimulation

Behaviours maintained by environmental consequences (external reinforcement)

Behaviours maintained by escape or avoidance

Elicited behaviours – respondent or reflexive behaviours ( aggression???)


4th Step –Once the maladaptive behaviour is identified we replace it with an adaptive behaviour (target behaviour)



5th Step – Is the target behaviour active or passive?

The Dead Man’s Test ensures that we replace a maladaptive behaviour not just eliminate it.

Behaviour therapy suggests that behaviour occurs for a purpose. To simply strive to have the behaviour not happen we do not address the motivation and often other maladaptive behaviours emerge to replace it


Select a behaviour that a Dead man cannot do.


Dead Man Test ExerciseClient will not swear at house meetings (passive)

Client contributes at house meetings withoutswearing (active)

Adolescent will not hit peers or staff (P)

Adolescent will interact with peers and staff without hitting (A)

Child will not throw tantrums when consequenced (P)

Child accepts consequences without a tantrum (A)

Be careful of stating target behaviours in the passive


6th step does the target behaviour help eliminate the maladaptive behaviour?


Fair Pair – active development of the new target behaviour helps to eliminate the maladaptive behaviour

Learning and executing the new behaviour makes it difficult to engage in the old maladaptive behaviour.

Client will walk away from teasing rather than hitting.


Specifying Behaviour

Tests to Determining Specificity

Stranger Test –Would a stranger know the type of behaviour that you are talking

about?So What Test – Is the behaviour maladaptive?

Dead Man’s Test – Is the target behaviour expressed in the active tense?

Fair Pair – Does the target behaviour help to eliminate the maladaptive behaviour?


Application of specifying behaviour

Performance objectives

Therapeutic goals

Functional analysis


Functional Analysis

1. Observe client in maladaptive behaviour

2. Hypothesize as to which antecedent or consequence is influencing the behaviour

3. Test hypothesis by changing antecedent or consequence

4. Assess – hypothesis accurate – Treatment plan

Inaccurate – change hypothesis


Therapeutic Goals

Specifying target adaptive behaviour that you can use in programming with disturbed kids


Performance Objectives

Refers to behaviour that the client demonstrates that indicates that “change” from maladaptive to adaptive behaviour has occurred

Elements 1. The adaptive behaviour

2. Conditions under which the behaviour will occur

3. Criteria for student performance

cognitive / behavioural – identifying & specifying 1st step in identifying and specifying...

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