Consequences -- Two Specific Meanings for Two Different Situations
Definition:
Consequence can mean two different things in two completely different settings.
One is specific to ABA and is used in preparing a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA.) This meaning has a specific technical meaning grounded in behaviorism, a school of psychology founded by B.F. Skinner.
The educator, psychologist or behavior specialist preparing an FBA will use a simple formula, ABC, to lay our his or her observation of the target behavior.
Consequence in this milieu refers specifically to the purpose of the behavior, by what the consequence reinforces. Perhaps it is escape--John hits himself in the head because he knows that he will be removed from his work area.
Consequence in a second milieu, refers to the outcome of a behavior within an Adlerian behavioral management system. It posits that all behavior has a purpose, just as ABA does, but behavior also has an outcome, or consequence. In many cases we want to protect our children from the natural consequence of a behavior (having a child hit by a car after running into the road.) Instead, the teacher or parent may structure a logical consequence that teaches. Say, a child forgets his or her homework. He or she cannot go out to recess until the homework is completed. It is logical, it is related to the behavior and it decreases the likelihood of the behavior happening again. An excellent guide to this use of consequence is Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk.
Also Known As: ABA - Reinforcer, Reinforcement
Examples:
ABA: John cries whenever the classroom aide, Mrs. Palmer, goes and works with another student. Consequence--Attention. John wants Mrs. Palmer's undivided attention.
Adlerian Psychology: John pushes the other children in line, waiting for lunch. Consequence: John must stay in his seat and wait until the other children have left the room before he can walk down to lunch with the classroom aide.
Consequence can mean two different things in two completely different settings.
One is specific to ABA and is used in preparing a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA.) This meaning has a specific technical meaning grounded in behaviorism, a school of psychology founded by B.F. Skinner.
The educator, psychologist or behavior specialist preparing an FBA will use a simple formula, ABC, to lay our his or her observation of the target behavior.
Consequence in this milieu refers specifically to the purpose of the behavior, by what the consequence reinforces. Perhaps it is escape--John hits himself in the head because he knows that he will be removed from his work area.
Consequence in a second milieu, refers to the outcome of a behavior within an Adlerian behavioral management system. It posits that all behavior has a purpose, just as ABA does, but behavior also has an outcome, or consequence. In many cases we want to protect our children from the natural consequence of a behavior (having a child hit by a car after running into the road.) Instead, the teacher or parent may structure a logical consequence that teaches. Say, a child forgets his or her homework. He or she cannot go out to recess until the homework is completed. It is logical, it is related to the behavior and it decreases the likelihood of the behavior happening again. An excellent guide to this use of consequence is Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk.
Also Known As: ABA - Reinforcer, Reinforcement
Examples:
ABA: John cries whenever the classroom aide, Mrs. Palmer, goes and works with another student. Consequence--Attention. John wants Mrs. Palmer's undivided attention.
Adlerian Psychology: John pushes the other children in line, waiting for lunch. Consequence: John must stay in his seat and wait until the other children have left the room before he can walk down to lunch with the classroom aide.
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