ABCs of Behavior
Let’s look more closely at how behavior analysts study the interaction between the immediate environment and behavior. One of the main things that behavior analysts do is examine the ABCs: Antecedents, Behavior, and Consequences. Antecedent : what comes before a specific behavior Behavior : the behavior itself Consequence : what happens after a specific behavior This analysis helps to pinpoint what may trigger a behavior and assists in identifying what consequences keep a behavior going. Example : Teaching Exchange Teacher says, “Get your lunchbox. It’s time to eat.” ( Antecedent ) Student walks to cubby, gets lunchbox, walks to seat at table, and sits down. ( Behavior ) Teacher says, “Terrific work, Johnny. You got your lunchbox. You’re ready to eat.” ( Consequence )
Both the antecedent (the instruction) and the consequence (eating lunch) influence whether the behavior will happen again. Example : Challenging Behavior Teacher says, “Let’s clean up. It is time for circle.” ( Antecedent ) Student throws blocks, lies on floor, and screams. ( Behavior ) Teacher says, “We need to
clean up our toys,” and helps child to put blocks in the box. ( Consequence ) Both the antecedent (the
instruction) and the consequence (not allowed to continue playing) influence whether the behavior will happen again.
In real situations, other factors such as the learner’s motivation and setting events are taken into account. These simple examples are presented for illustration purposes of the ABC analysis.
What does this mean for me? We can understand how and when
behaviors occur by examining antecedents and consequences. We often can change behaviors by changing what we do immediately before and immediately after behavior.
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