A behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... chain is a series of individual behaviors that are linked together to form a complex skill or sequence. Each behavior in the chain serves as a cue (or discriminative stimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or...) for the next behavior and also as a reinforcerA reinforcer is any consequence or stimulus&n... for the previous behavior. In AppliedApplied means that the behaviors targeted for change in... Behavior Analysis (ABA), behavior chains are often broken down into smaller steps and taught using strategies like chaining, which helps individuals learn how to perform the entire sequence of behaviors independently.
Example
A common behavior chain is brushing teeth. The steps in this chain include:
- Picking up the toothbrush.
- Applying toothpaste.
- Turning on the water.
- Wetting the toothbrush.
- Brushing the top teeth.
- Brushing the bottom teeth.
- Rinsing the mouth.
- Rinsing the toothbrush.
- Putting the toothbrush back in its holder.
Forwards ChainingForwards chaining is a teaching method used in Applied Behav..., Backwards ChainingBackwards chaining is a teaching method used in Applied Beha..., Total Task ChainingA behavior analyst is teaching a child named John how to was...