An Antecedent in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) refers to any event or condition that occurs immediately before a behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living organisms engage in, which can be observed, measured, and analyzed. It encompasses all interactions an organism has with its environment, inc... More. Antecedents can trigger or cue a behavior, and understanding them helps identify why a behavior occurs.
Example:
In a classroom, the teacher says, “It’s time for math,” and the student begins tapping their pencil. The teacher’s instruction (“It’s time for math”) is the antecedent that triggered the tapping behavior.