Applied Behavioral Analysis - Research Paper Example

Topic: Applied Behavioral Analysis Background and Behavioral learning theories earn significant attention as experts wanted to improve educational system that are attuned to the needs of learners. It brought importance to the learning processes sourced from experiences while cognitive learning espoused the human capability’s to utilize rational process in gaining knowledge. Education philosophers however contend that integrating rational and empirical experiences for a more holistic educational outcome will be much anticipated. Behavioral analysis are significant to (1) understand a troubled or person undergoing depression whose personal changes can be understood through psychodynamic, humanistic or cognitive theories of personality; (2) understand a picture of a persons personality characteristics, e.g. screening an applicant by understanding through theory of traits, types, or temperaments; and, (3) understand peoples interaction and how they deal with one another like in the case of marriage counseling or in conflict management by unmasking their assumptions made to each other. Behavioral analysis theories & learning Under behavioral psychology, William & Beyers (2001) presented an exploratory analysis of cognition which commence with the examination of human behavior. Behavioral theory is explicated by Pavlov, Bandura, and B.F. Skinner’s studies who explored the possibility of controlling human action and responses through a pattern and manipulation of stimuli with some significant reinforcement. a. Skinner Theory of Learning Theory --Skinner (1989) theorized that cognitive thought are referenced to some parts of human behavior sourced from experiences or from bodily conditions who does the sensing, doing, changing, remembering, wanting and in thinking. Using epistemic precept, cognitive theory contends that learning is a result of processes which accumulated knowledge sourced from empirical experience, perception, memory, and verbal thinking. Using animal experiments for behavior analysis, Skinner (1989) showed that food rewards produce behavior changes and learning. Human beings respond to a broad range of reinforcements or rewards. Inside the classroom, this can be translated as learning and motivation or that marvelous curiosity but inspired by self-discipline which are essential values in the educative processes, although experts recognize that better behaviors are achieved when knowledge on basic language and skills for social interaction are achieved (Skinner, 1989). Nowadays, cognitive learning is inclusive of information processing theory, schema theory, and situated cognition theory. This is because human bodily condition is often inclined on something or that posture or illustrates some attitude toward a purpose due to innate intentions and purposes as operant to behavior which shape and determine consequences owning from past experiences (Skinner, 1989). In this context, human actions are determined and influenced by its consequences that are evident with the past. The latter, as probed by experimental analysis, describes learning processing which is inclusive of information storage, retrieval of knowledge and its utilization to further the cognition process. Thus, sensory registration in the memory is significant in the theory of cognition (Skinner, 1989). However, there are events which happened with few observable traces, hence there were actions done that are beyond introspection. Maybe, this is the reasons of behaviors which are attributed to initiating, originating, or creative act of will (Skinner, 1989). B. Albert Bandura Learning Theory-- Bandura argued that a person is driven to learn not only by environmental influences, inner forces but also of expectations of how our actions might affect other people (Bandura, 1986). A unique character of personality is the ability to see the consequences of actions without necessarily experiencing them. Persons learn vicariously by observing the possible. Bandura assert that through social learning a person’s personality is shaped by people’s interactions. This is what he called social learning (Bandura, 1986). Bandura have also contributed to the development of observational learning, a mechanism where people learned by keenly watching other’s observation. Through observational learning, children and adults gather information about their circumstances and the environment surrounding them (Bandura, 1986). They will also observe what are the actions and behaviors which are socially acceptable, those rewarded and punished. Person’s skills, beliefs and attitudes are acquired through socialization process and from being oriented to the consequences from each action (Bandura, 1986). In this context, it’s asserted that psychological problems are sourced from unfortunate exposure to unhealthy role models, circumstances and environment that caused undesirable behaviors (Bandura, 1986). Bandura therefore have reasserted that learning is influenced by the interaction of environment, of cognition and behavioral aspect. Each of these factors influences one another. Bandura (1986) labeled the interaction of this interaction as reciprocal determinism. To cite an example, if a person likes to become a journalist, he will spend most of his time reading, writing, watching reports and interacting with people who can shares similar interests (Bandura, 1986). It would be more motivating if the person would spend some time visiting media institutions and seeing how professional journalists work. From this, it can be understood that the interest on journalism is the cognition aspect; reading, writing and watching reports is the environment; and interacting professional journalists and those whom similar interest are shared is the behavior (Bandura, 1986). c. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1928) – Pavlov has serious interest about human cerebral hemispheres, the most complex and impressive part of the nervous system which is scientifically described as composed of billions of interconnected cells (Pavlov, 1928). Such complex physiological description suggests such complex function with such infinite potential. Some neurologists have studied the physiology of cerebral hemisphere through stimulations of cerebral cortex and saw some contractions of skeletal muscles, although they likewise affirmed that there are cerebral parts that are not affected by artificial stimulation (Pavlov, 1928). In an experiment for instance, Pavlov contend that food, as stimulant, can make a dog or a person salivate. For him, it’s unlikely for these subjects to salivate in the absence of food. He then concluded that the salivation is motivated by psychic secretions, a auto-response triggered by stimulants (Pavlov, 1928). However, Pavlov also realized that the extraction of any of the cerebral parts renders the receptor organ defective and may affect the retina, eardrum and skin (Pavlov, 1928). They concluded that extirpation in any of its part may affect the normal activity of the brain (Pavlov, 1928). Pavlov explicated that the function of the cerebral hemisphere is quite distinct since it works in a special psychical activity—which can be felt and can be comprehended. While the study of this is admittedly difficult fro physiologist, but its peculiar function interest the psychologists too (Pavlov, 1928). From such study, the learned responses to stimuli have serious implications to the theory of learning and for the understanding on variety of learned behaviors. He contended that learning can be experimentally manipulated in to gather reactions and interplay of the stimuli and the responses (Pavlov, 1928). From this, Pavlov concluded that learning can be derived through classical conditioning in which organisms learn to present reflexive responses to new stimuli. He defined classical conditioning as a behavioral learning where a neural stimulus got the power to draw out the innate automotive reflex produced (Pavlov, 1928). Pavlov’s theory (1928) of classical conditioning is helpful for acquisition of knowledge about possible danger, sexual opportunity, food, and about reproduction. Although this process is adaptive, it also assists psychologists in resolving issues on phobias. The latter involve the process of desensitization therapy to eliminate fears. Pavlov’s (1928) experimental approach focused on reflex which can also be illustrated with the blinking of eye or pupil contraction. Psychologists dubbed conditioned response as the process of acquisition. He pointed that such can be elicited at the right time. Classical condition has variation of themes such as conditioning for aversion or distastes. The firmer happens when CS forecast the happening of aversive UCS, such as seeing a fire (Pavlov, 1928). Under this concept, organism does not only have muscle response but also a broad reaction of internal responses such as panting respiration, speedy heartbeats or perspiration. When strong fear is involved, conditioning may happened after pairing it with neural stimulus. Pavlov cited that trauma occur when a person is conditioned to respond with such strong emotional, cognitive and physical reaction which is defiant to eradication (Pavlov, 1928). d. Artificial intelligence— John McCarthy establish artificial intelligence refer to the design of intelligent agent which perceives it environment and take actions by utilizing its chances for success. It is a kind of intelligence which is simulated from human brain. Some research made use of artificial intelligence for communication or to something that could perform an action in behalf of the person (Winston, 1984). AI is used or data mining, for navigation, for data checking, scanning, mathematical solution and optical recognition. It is now used now for interaction with the use of information technology (Winston, 1984). AI is used for deductive reasoning both as part of interaction and in problem solving. This is because AI is a combination of puzzles and computational resources and probability (Winston, 1984). AI assisted humans in determining solutions and in making intuitive judgment. It necessitate an embodied agent approach and of sensorimotor to develop its rational capability. AI require knowledge representation and reengineering which may consist the embodiment of extensive knowledge, causes and effects, historic events, relations, categories and the like as default reasoning and its capacity needs ontological engineering (Winston, 1984). AI cannot be in fruition without technology experts because this is made with hierarchies of central and control system. Learning process, with the intervention of machine needs supervision and regression to determine the relation between the input and output. AI in this case is a utility which can aid decision-makings (Winston, 1984). AI these days has been technologically developed for social intelligence, manipulation, machine perception and the like just like how computer functions. It is engineered with the capacity to predict actions, motives and emotional states of the users (Winston, 1984). e. Cognitive approaches to learning.—posits that psychologists and scientists who are interested on human mind have made some mechanisms that correlate mental processes to stimuli, brain actions and behaviors. It generally consists of manipulation of mental representations which are inclusive of mental images, schemas and scripts. It contends that all human beings are basically capable of logical thinking and reasoning however learning is derived through the intervention, correlation and influence of psychological factors like perceptions, emotions, motives and personality. Cognitive approach to learning is very integrated and encompassing. It deals with multi layers of learning process such as pattern recognition, perception, language, attention, use of memory, imagery, artificial intelligence, rational and problem solving, and developmental psychology. In here, behavior is focused on observable stimuli and responses and refuses precept about innate mental processes. Under cognitive science, the domain utilizes the intersection of cognitive psychology, computer science, and neuroscience. It likewise involved learning or study about the philosophy of the mind. The Gestalt psychologists made the breakthrough about the study on the science of cognition. 2. Treatment (if applicable) These theories of learning can be utilized in understanding to personalities who are undergoing some innate problems on (a) depression to understand the changes through psychodynamic, humanistic or cognitive theories of personality; (2) to relate and understand persons personality characteristics inclusive of one’s of traits, types, or temperaments; as well as, (3) understand one’s interaction and how they relate with one another in marriage relations and in conflict management (Pelligra, Isoni, Fadda & Doneddu, 2010). For this research, theories of learning can be maximized to understand the behavior of autistic person in the learning processes. Subjects are undertaking treatment after passing the following criteria: (a) independent diagnosis of autism from expert psychologist and expert medical doctor, (b) sequential/chronological age (CA) less than 40 months if mute and less than 46 months or more at a CA of 30 months. The last criterion excluded 15% of the referrals (Pelligra, et.al., 2010). Diagnosed autism often show emotional indifference, severe interpersonal remoteness, little peer play, has language disorder, too much rituals, and commenced since birth Such diagnosis must be based on structured psychiatric consultation with parents, interpretation of the child’s free-play behaviors, psychological testing of intelligence, and review of pediatric examinations (Pelligra, et.al., 2010). Such must also be based on Diagnostic and Stanstical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association (Pelligra, et.al., 2010). In a study, researcher may use an intensive-treatment experimental group which may undergo specific determined hours of one-to-one treatment weekly, or a minimal-treatment Control Group which is undergoing 10 hours or less of one-to-one treatment weekly. Control Group I is maybe utilized to know more information about the rate of unstructured development young autistic children, those who are probed by agency as require (Pelligra, et.al., 2010).g diagnostic and intensive-treatment experimental group who may have been undertaking treatment for more than two years. Strict random assignment cannot be utilized for them due to ethical considerations. Instead, they were assigned to the experimental group with sufficient staff members for their treatment Subjects will be divided in accordance to categories with the assistance of parents too (Pelligra, et.al., 2010; Johnson, 2003). The subjects’ prorated mental age (PMA) during enrolment, summarized educational placement, and IQ scores will be subjected through MANOVA to derive the that contrast of the experimental group with Control Groups 1 and 2. During intake, observations should be done to annotate significant differences between the experimental group and the control groups. At follow-up stage, researcher will also determine the IQ of experimental group’s difference with that of control groups on educational placement (p Read More