Glossary Terms Archive - 40 Hour RBT® Online Training

Glossary Terms

Unconditioned Reinforcer

Unconditioned Reinforcer refers to a stimulus that naturally increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future without the need for prior learning or pairing with other reinforcers. These reinforcers are inherently satisfying and do not require conditioning to be effective. Example Food is an unconditioned reinforcer for a person who is hungry. Eating food naturally increases the likelihood of behaviors that lead […]

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Unconditioned Punishment

Unconditioned Punishment refers to a stimulus change that inherently decreases the likelihood of a behavior in the future without needing any prior learning or pairing with other forms of punishment. These punishers are naturally aversive and do not require conditioning to have their effect. Example Touching a hot stove and immediately experiencing pain is an example of unconditioned punishment. The

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Trials-to-Criterion

Trials-to-Criterion is a measurement that reflects the number of response opportunities or attempts needed for an individual to reach a specified level of accuracy or mastery of a skill. It indicates how many trials are required before the person can consistently perform the behavior at the desired level. Example A teacher is teaching a student how to tie their shoes. The teacher tracks the number

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Topography

Topography refers to the physical form or shape of a behavior—how the behavior looks when it is performed. It describes the observable movements or actions that make up the behavior, without focusing on the function or purpose. Example A child waving their hand to greet someone has a distinct topography. The behavior involves raising the hand, moving it back and forth,

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Time Out from Reinforcement

Time Out from Reinforcement refers to a procedure in which access to positive reinforcement is temporarily removed or withdrawn following a specific behavior. The purpose is to decrease the likelihood of the behavior occurring again by making reinforcement unavailable for a set period. Example A child is playing with their favorite toys, and when they hit another child, the teacher removes

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Temporal Locus

Temporal Locus refers to the fact that every instance of behavior occurs at a specific point in time in relation to other events. This concept highlights the timing of the behavior and its position within a sequence of events. Example A teacher observes that a student raises their hand immediately after the teacher finishes asking a question. The behavior of hand-raising occurs

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Temporal Extent

Temporal Extent refers to the fact that every instance of behavior occurs for some amount of time, meaning behavior has a measurable duration. This concept focuses on how long a behavior lasts from the moment it begins until it ends. Example A teacher measures how long a student spends working on a math problem. The amount of time the student spends actively engaged

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Technological

Technological refers to a key dimension of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in which all procedures in a program, intervention, or study are thoroughly identified and described with enough detail that another practitioner could replicate them. The clear, step-by-step descriptions ensure consistency and accuracy in implementation. Example A behavior intervention plan includes detailed instructions on how to deliver reinforcement, collect data, and implement a

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Task Analysis

Task Analysis is the process of breaking down a complex skill or series of behaviors into smaller, more manageable steps or teachable units. Each step is taught individually, and the learner progresses through the sequence until the entire task is mastered. Example To teach a child how to brush their teeth, a task analysis might include

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Stimulus Fading

Stimulus Fading is a procedure in which a particular physical characteristic of a stimulus is made more prominent to help the learner respond correctly. Over time, the highlighted feature is gradually reduced or faded until the learner can perform the behavior independently without needing the enhanced stimulus. Example A teacher uses a brightly colored card to help a student identify the correct

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