GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

PROFESSOR/CONTACT INFORMATION GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM EDSE 619 6A1 INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS Spring 2006 Thursdays, 4:30 pm 8:30 pm Thoreau Middle School, Room 112 Name: Sue Gross, M.A., B.C.B.A. Phone: Office: (703) 766-8708/Cell: (703) 906-9801 Fax: (703) 766-8713 E-mail: sgross@aptschool.org (may not check every day so call cell phone and leave message for time sensitive issues) Contact/Meetings: Your instructor does not have an office at George Mason University. Out of class meetings with the instructor can be arranged as needed by either phoning or e- mailing her. COURSE DESCRIPTION: A B Prerequisites. Admission to Applied Behavior Analysis Graduate Certificate Program (ABAC). Description. This course focuses on the basic principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis; on identification of factors that contribute to behavioral problems and improved performance; and on procedures that can be used to minimize behavioral problems, improve performance, teach new behaviors, and increase probability of behaviors occurring under appropriate circumstances. NATURE OF COURSE DELIVERY Lecture, discussion, written assignments, written assessments, in-class presentation, and asynchronous online discussion. STUDENT OUTCOMES AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS This course is designed to enable students to perform as described by the following objectives, which are taken from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board s Task List and Guidelines for Responsible Conduct, or from NCATE s Program Standards, as indicated below. (NCATE Standards are as follows: # Standard # Standard 1 Foundations 6 Language 2 Development and Characteristics 7 Instructional Planning of Learners 8 Assessment 3 Individual Learning Differences 9 Professional and Ethical Practice 4 Instructional Strategies 10 Collaboration 5 Learning Environments and Social Interactions

Course Number EDSE 619 / Introduction to Applied Behavioral Analysis Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 2 BACB NCATE Program Standard TL or GRC Item 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 Explain and behave in accordance with the TL 2.1, 2.2 X X philosophical assumptions of behavior analysis, such as the lawfulness of behavior, empiricism, experimental analysis, and parsimony. Explain determinism as it relates to behavior analysis. 2 Distinguish between mentalistic and TL 2.3 X X environmental explanations of behavior. 3 Distinguish among the experimental analysis of TL 2.4 X X behavior, applied behavior analysis, and behavioral technologies. 4 Describe and explain behavior, including private TL 2.5 X X events, in behavior analytic (non-mentalistic) terms. 5 Use the dimensions of applied behavior analysis TL 2.6 X X (Baer, Wolf, & Risley 1968) for evaluating interventions to determine if they are behavior analytic. 6 Interpret articles from the behavior analytic TL 2.7 X literature. 7 Define and provide examples of TL 3.1 X X behavior/response/response class. 8 Define and provide examples of stimulus and TL 3.2 X X stimulus class. 9 Define and provide examples of positive and TL 3.3 X X negative reinforcement. 10 Define and provide examples of conditioned TL 3.4 X X and unconditioned reinforcement. 11 Define and provide examples of positive and TL 3.5 X X negative punishment. 12 Define and provide examples of conditioned TL 3.6 X X and unconditioned punishment. 13 Define and provide examples of stimulus control. TL 3.7 X X 14 Define and provide examples of establishing TL 3.8 X X operations. 15 Define and provide examples of behavioral TL 3.9 X X contingencies. 16 Define and provide examples of functional TL 3.10 X X X X relations. 17 Define and provide examples of extinction. TL 3.11 X X X X 18 Define and provide examples of generalization TL 3.12 X X and discrimination. 19 Describe and provide examples of the TL 3.13 X X respondent conditioning paradigm. 20 Describe and provide examples of the operant TL 3.14 X X X X X conditioning paradigm. 21 Define and provide examples of contingencyshaped TL 3.19 X X X X X and rule governed behavior and distinguish between examples of each. 22 Use antecedent-based interventions, such as: TL 9.1 X X X X X contextual or ecological variables, establishing operations, and discriminative stimuli. 23 Use positive and negative reinforcement TL 9.2 X X X X X 24 Identify and use reinforcers. TL 9.2.A X X X X X

Course Number EDSE 619 / Introduction to Applied Behavioral Analysis Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 3 BACB TL or GRC Item NCATE Program Standard 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 25 Use appropriate parameters and schedules of TL 9.2.B X X X X X reinforcement. 26 Use response-deprivation procedures (e.g., TL 9.2.C X X X X X Premack principle). 27 State and plan for the possible unwanted effects TL 9.2.D X X X X X of the use of reinforcement. 28 Use differential reinforcement. TL 9.6 X X X X X 29 Use positive and negative punishment. TL 9.3 X X X X X 30 Identify and use punishers. TL 9.3.A X X X X X 31 Use appropriate parameters and schedules of TL 9.3.B X X X X X punishment. 32 State and plan for the possible unwanted effects TL 9.3.C X X X X X of the use of punishment. 33 Use extinction. TL 9.4 X X X X X 34 Identify possible reinforcers maintaining behavior TL 9.4.A X X X X X and use extinction. 35 State and plan for the possible unwanted effects TL 9.4.B X X X X X of the use of extinction. 36 Use response-independent (time-based) TL 9.5 X X X X X schedules of reinforcement. 37 Use discrimination training procedures. TL 9.7 X X X X X 38 Use prompt and prompt fading. TL 9.8 X X X X X X 39 Use stimulus equivalence procedures. TL 9.21 X X X X X 40 Use instructions and rules. TL 9.9 X X X X X 41 Use modeling and imitation. TL 9.10 X X X X X X 42 Use shaping. TL 9.11 X X X X X 43 Use chaining. TL 9.12 X X X X X 44 Use incidental teaching techniques. TL 9.13 X X X X X 45 Use Direct Instruction. TL 9.14 X X X X X 46 Use precision teaching. TL 9.15 X X X X X 47 Use personalized system of instruction (PSI). TL 9.16 X X X X X 48 Use discrete trials. TL 9.17 X X X X X Use contingency contracting (e.g., behavioral TL 9.18 X X X X X 49 contracts). Use token economy procedures, including levels TL 9.19 X X X X X 50 systems. Use independent, interdependent and TL 9.20 X X X X X 51 dependent group contingencies. 52 Plan for behavioral contrast effects. TL 9.22 X X X X X 53 Use behavioral momentum. TL 9.23 X X X X X Use the matching law and recognize factors TL 9.24 X X X X X 54 influencing choice. Use language acquisition programs that employ TL 9.25 X X X X X 55 Skinner s analysis of verbal behavior (i.e., echoics, mands, tacts, intraverbals). Use language acquisition/communication TL 9.26 X X X X X 56 training procedures. 57 Use self-management strategies. TL 9.27 X X X X X Use behavior change procedures to promote TL 9.28 X X X X X 58 stimulus and response generalization. 59 Use behavior change procedures to promote maintenance. TL 9.29 X X X X X

Course Number EDSE 619 / Introduction to Applied Behavioral Analysis Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 4 BACB TL or GRC Item NCATE Program Standard 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 60 Reliance of Scientific Knowledge. GRC 1.01 X X X 61 Competence. GRC 1.02 X X X Professional Development. GRC 1.03 62 Integrity GRC 1.04 X X X 63 The behavior analyst must obtain the client s or GRC 4.01 X X X X client-surrogate s approval in writing of the behavior intervention procedures before implementing them. 64 The behavior analyst recommends GRC 4.02 X X X X X reinforcement rather than punishment whenever possible. If punishment procedures are necessary, the behavior analyst always includes reinforcement procedures for alternative behavior in the program. 65 Affirmation of principles. GRC 8.1 X X 66 Dissemination of behavior analysis. GRC 8.2 X X 67 Familiarity with these guidelines. GRC 8.3 X 68 Discouraging misrepresentation by non-certified individuals. GRC 8.4 X REQUIRED TEXTS Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E., & Heward, W.L. (1987). Applied behavior analysis. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-675-20223-X. Skinner, B.F. (1974). About behaviorism. New York, NY: Knopf. Required Internet Accessible Text Materials You will need to go to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website (www.bacb.com), and download the Task List and the Guidelines for Responsible Conduct. We will refer to these documents throughout this course and all others in this Certificate Program. Articles The following articles are available through the GMU Library website, at e-reserves. Our password is disable (all lower case). Carr, D., & Felce, D. (2000). Application of stimulus equivalence to language intervention for individuals with severe linguistic disabilities. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 25 (3), 181-205. Johnston, J.M., & Shook, G.L. (1987). Developing behavior analysis at the state level. The Behavior Analyst, 10 (2), 199-233. Moore, J.C., & Shook, G.L. (2001). Certification, accreditation, and quality control in behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst, 24 (1), 45-55.

Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 5 Blackboard Much important information for your class will be available on the Internet, through Blackboard. To access Blackboard, wait until 24 hours after your first evening of class. Then, go to http://blackboard.gmu.edu. Click on Log In. If you were a prior blackboard user, your username and password will be the same as they were when you last used blackboard. If you have not previously used blackboard, your username will be your first initial and last name, followed by 619. For example, for Sue Gross, the username will be sgross619. Passwords will be the same as usernames (for those who haven t previously used Blackboard). Please change your password as soon as you access Blackboard. Once you re in, click on EDSE 619. The syllabus is posted in Course Documents, and other documents will be posted there throughout the course. The Discussion Board Forums you ll respond to appear in Discussion Board. Instructor contact information is at Staff Information. You may submit some of your assignments through Digital Dropbox. Finally, there are many valuable links at External Links. COURSE REQUIREMENTS, PERFORMANCE BASED ASSESSMENT, AND EVALUATION CRITERIA Requirements, Performance Based Assessments, and Criteria for Evaluation Blackboard Discussion Board Forums. For each of the weeks indicated in the schedule below, and in conjunction with your readings from About Behaviorism, you will respond to the week s two Discussion Board Forums. To respond, first do the assigned reading from About Behaviorism. Then, go to the Discussion Board Forums for that week. Read the question posed by your instructor. Read the responses posted by your classmates. Then, for each Discussion Board Forum, either respond directly to the question posed by your instructor, or to content posted by your classmates. Posts must be made prior to the start time for the class session for which they re assigned (e.g., prior to the start time of the class session on the date in the furthest left column of the row in which the Forum numbers appear), and you will earn 2 points for each post you make prior to start of class time. Late posts will earn 1 point. You may wish to print and keep your posts for your files, as they likely will be useful if you are completing a Portfolio as part of a Masters program. Quizzes. You will complete six 10 question quizzes. Questions will require multiple choice or short answer responding. You will receive 2 points for each correct quiz response. You will have opportunity to correct incorrect responses and resubmit them for ½ point per corrected response, once per quiz. No resubmitted, corrected quizzes will be accepted after the final exam date. Research Profile. This assignment will: 1) provide students experience using PsychInfo to conduct literature searches; 2) acquaint students with GMU library resources; 3) provide individual students with exposure to the behavior analytic literature; and 4) provide exposure to behavior analysis as a transcendent discipline and practice to the class. To do this assignment:

Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 6 1. You will be randomly assigned an author from the list below: Timothy R. Beth Sulzer- Gina Green Sigrid Glenn Kathryn J. Saunders Vollmer Azaroff Kennon A. Lattal Linda J. Hayes Alan Poling Michael J. Gerald L. Shook Dougher Mark Sundberg Judith E. Favell Raymond G. Donald Baer Johnny Matson Miltenberger Thomas S. Beatrice Barrett Jon S. Bailey Deromt Holmes- Aubrey C. Daniels Critchfield Barnes Julie S. Vargas R. Douglas Greer Timothy D. Lawrence E. Dennis H. Reid Hackenberg Fraley Glen Dunlap Louis Burgio Jay Moore Paul Touchette Murray Sidman 2. Once you have an author assignment, do a PsychInfo search for articles, chapters, and books written by the author. Conduct the search such that you not only get the references for the author s work, but also the abstracts. 3. Print the outcome of the search. 4. Read the abstracts. 5. Obtain several of the articles, chapters, or books from the library, or through interlibrary lending. Read them. 6. Prepare a report in which you: a. Identify the type of work the author has done, and the populations considered. b. Describe three notable themes you found in the author s work. c. Discuss possible applications of the authors work to other populations or problems. d. Cite the articles, chapters, and/or books you read in preparing your report (using APA Fifth Edition style). 7. Deliver your report in 8 minutes or less, leaving 2 minutes for questions or comments afterward, during one of the class sessions so indicated on the class schedule. Your written report will receive up to 15 points for accurately describing salient themes in your author s work, and up to 5 points for good composition (including correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax; and for adhering to APA style). Your presentation will earn up to 5 points for accurately describing and citing salient themes in your author s work without reading the paper to the class, correct pronunciation, and addressing students questions and comments. Discussion Items. At the beginning of each class session so indicated in the schedule (below), you will be asked to describe an example of the phenomenon assigned for discussion that week, that you observed during the previous week. For example, if the phenomenon to be discussed is positive reinforcement, then you would discuss an example of apparent positive reinforcement you observed at your workplace, in your family, on television, in reading the newspaper or a magazine, in a movie, etc. No late discussion items will be accepted. You will earn 2 points per discussion item, regardless of correctness or incorrectness. Final Examination. On the last night of class, you will take a 50 item final examination. You will earn 1 point toward your final grade for each correct response on this examination. You will also take this examination as a pretest, on your first night of class. Using the exam in this way permits the instructor another evaluation of the extent to

Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 7 which the objectives of the course have been taught. It also removes any mystery, for the students, as to what constitutes the final exam. After scoring the pretest, your instructor will provide you with a feedback table that lists percentage correct by content area covered by the exam, which you can use in determining how much time to devote to which portion of the course content. Attendance and Weather Policies. You are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which you register. Although absence alone is not a reason for lowering a grade, students are not relieved of the obligation to fulfill course assignments, including those that can only be fulfilled in class. In particular, a student who misses an exam without an excuse may have the course grade lowered. Students who fail to participate (because of absences) in a course in which participation is a factor in evaluation may have the grade lowered. Off campus classes follow the weather policy of the district in which they are held. This class will follow weather policies of Fairfax County Public Schools. If the school division closes, the buildings are not open for GMU classes, therefore the class is cancelled. Generally, the procedures for making up missed class time is at the discretion of the instructor. Grading Scale. Given these assignments, the distribution of total possible points per assignment type, and grading scale, are as follows: Possible Assignment Type Points Each Number Total Possible Points Discussion Board Forums 2 points per Forum 10 Forums 20 points Quizzes 20 points per quiz 6 quizzes 20 points Discussion Items 2 per Item 6 Items 12 points Research Profile 25 points 1 Profile 25 points Final Exam 50 points 1 Exam 50 points 227 points A = 205-227 points B = 182-204 points C = 159-181 points F <159 points Schedule Throughout the following table, ABA refers to the Cooper, Heron, & Heward (1987) text, AB refers to About behaviorism, GRC refers to the Guidelines for Responsible Conduct (BACB, 2001), and TL refers to the BACB s (2005) Task List. Date Topics / s Assignment 1/5/06 Orientation to Certification and to the Training Program, Pretest 1/12/06 Introduction to Contingencies; Respondent Behavior and Respondent Conditioning Read ABA pp. 17-20, AB Introduction and Ch 1

Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 8 1/19/06 1/26/06 2/2/06 2/9/06 2/16/06 2/23/06 Introduction to Contingencies: Operant Behavior and Reinforcement; Positive and Negative Reinforcement GRC 4.2 Positive and Negative Punishment GRC 4.3 Operant Extinction and Differential Reinforcement Antecedent Stimulus Control, Chaining, Discriminative Stimulus Control, Discrimination, and Discrimination Training Schedules of Reinforcement Establishing Operations Bringing about new behavior: Shaping by successive approximations. Generalization and promoting generalization. Stimulus Equivalence Behavior Analysis: Conceptual, Philosophical, and Historical Underpinnings; Behavior Analysis as a Profession and as a Transcendent Discipline GRC 1.1, 1.2.1-2, 1.3, 8.1-4 Read ABA pp. 21 34, Ch 11, Chs 19-22, AB Ch 2, 3, and 4 Respond to DB Forum 1& 2 Quiz 1 Discussion Item 1 Respondent Behavior Read ABA Ch 17 and 18, and AB Ch 5, Respond to DB Forum 3 & 4 Quiz 2 Discussion Item 2 Positive or Negative Reinforcement Read ABA pp. 29-31, 299-317, Ch 15 and 16, and AB Ch 6. Respond to DB Forum 5 & 6 Quiz 3 Discussion Item 3 Differential Reinforcement Read ABA Ch 12, pp. 318-326, AB Ch 7 and 8, Respond to DB Forum 7 & 8 Quiz 4 Discussion Item 4 S D, S P, S Delta Research Profile Author Assignments Read ABA pp. 300-302, 304-308, 314-318, Ch 14, Ch 27, AB Ch 9, 10 and 11, Read Carr & Felce (2000) Respond to DB Forum 9 & 10 Quiz 5 Discussion Item 5 Establishing Operations Read ABA Ch. 1, pp. 17-18 and Baer, Wolf, & Risley (1968), Johnston & Shook (1987), Moore & Shook (2001), and AB Ch 12, Quiz 6 Discussion Item 6 Generalization Submit Research Profile Outline Research Profile Presentations Read AB Ch 13 and 14 3/2/06 Submit Research Profile Papers 3/9/06 Final Examination COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS The Graduate School of Education (GSE) expects that all students abide by the following: Students are expected to exhibit professional behavior and dispositions. See gse.gmu.edu for a listing of these dispositions. Students must follow the guidelines of the University Honor Code. See http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/#toc_h12 for the full honor code.

Syllabus / Spring 2006 / Page 9 Students must agree to abide by the university policy for Responsible Use of Computing. See http://mail.gmu.edu and click on Responsible Use of Computing at the bottom of the screen. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the GMU Disability Resource Center (DRC) and inform the instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester. See www.gmu.edu/student/drc or call 703.993.2474 to access the DRC.