Course Description:

"All Behavior has meaning." "Children are not behavior problems they sometimes have problems with behavior."(Pat Bobblit; special education pre-school teacher) These statements epitomize the emphasis of how this course will be approached. This course will be an introduction to behavior modification and cognitive change processes in applied settings. We will focus on the application of operant conditioning principles, implementation of behavior modification techniques, and assessment and evaluation of program effectiveness. These techniques cover settings such as hospitals, institutions, schools, the home, day-care centers, businesses and industry. We will emphasize applied research and clinical intervention techniques. Examination will be directed at the altering of behavior and cognition's and the conditions that influence their effectiveness. We will address diverse areas of education, treatment, prevention, rehabilitation, and functioning in everyday life. These will include management of physical illnesses such as AIDS, cancer and diabetes, parenting and child rearing and treatment of social, emotional, and psychiatric problems.

Course Objectives:

*To gain an understanding of the major theories and systems of Behavior and Cognitive Change Processes

*To become familiar with the different Behavior and Cognitive Change Processes used in applied settings.

*To understand functional analysis in assessment and intervention.

*To explore and evaluate a Behavior Modification Program.

*Examine the role of cognitively based treatment.

*Understand the transference of training.

*Be aware of the Ethical Guidelines and Protection of Client Rights.

*To examine the current issues and Future Directions of Behavior and Cognitive Change Processes.

Method of Instruction:

This course will be a combination of lectures, experiential role-plays, discussion, presentations, films, clinical examples, and guest speakers. Class participation is expected. Students will be required to pick a developmental stage of focus. Students who have disabilities and require classroom accommodations should meet with me during my office hours to make these arrangements. Please bring accommodations authorization from the Disability Resource Center with you.

Required Text:

Behavior Modification in Applied Settings by Alan E. Kazdin

Method of Evaluation:

50pts- Attendance, class participation, completion of all homework, and reading assignments. More than 2 class meetings missed may result in failure of the course. All assignments are to be typewritten. No late assignments will be accepted. No make up exams. Assignments are due at the beginning of class.

15 points-Critical Response Paper- Evaluation of a Behavior Modification Program or Cognitive Change treatment

facility. You will spend time observing a Behavior Modification Program or Cognitive Change treatment facility. Or you

could Present one or more case studies of a child, adolescent, or adult. The case ought to reflect a problem behavior

or domain of impaired functioning most relevant to the course. Write up a 3-page paper, APA format, with at least

two journal articles as references.

35pts- Special Project: You will pick a behavior plan change. This written project needs to be 10 pages, APA format, typed, stapled, no folders and a minimum of 6 references.You will be graded on Theory/Research/New Information, Creativity of behavior change plan, and Paper clarity, Grammer, Structure.

50pts- Quizzes 3 take home and 2 in class

50pts-Final exam

Total points &endash; 200 / Office Hours: Wed: 7:30-8,11:40-1pm, Fridays 7:30-8,11:40-1, 4:40-5, or by appointment Web site- http://www.sonoma.edu/people/schneider

E-mail: dana.schneider@sonoma.edu / 664-2585/Stev. 3087

Course Assignments

Jan. 31 Introduction/Overview of course. &endash; Behavior Modification and its Key Characteristics, Foundations of Behavior modification. Case illustrations

Reading - Chapters 1

Feb. 7 Principals of Operant Conditioning- ABC's of Behavior, Antecedents, Behaviors and Consequences.

Reading - Chapters 2

Feb. 14 Identification, Definition and Assessment of Behavior-Identifying the goals of programs, Target behavior, and Observations

Reading-Chapter 3 Quiz Due

Feb. 21 Functional Analysis, Assessment and Intervention- Elements of Functional Analysis, Methods of Assessment. Reading - Chapters 4

Feb. 28 Evaluating a Behavior Modification Program &endash; Design Characteristics, and evaluating the data.

Reading - Chapters 5 In class Quiz

March 7 Positive and Negative Reinforcement- Response Paper Due- Factors that influence the Effectiveness of Reinforcement.

Reading-Chapter 6

March 14 Punishment-Aversive Events, Factors that influence the effectiveness of punishment.

Reading- Chapter 7 Quiz Due

March 21 Extinction- Characteristic of the Extinction Process, When and How to use extinction. Reading - Chapter 8

March 28 Special technique Variations to Enhance Performance - Contingency Contracts, Group-Based Programs

Reading- Chapter 9 In class Quiz

April 4 Self- Control Techniques- - Techniques of self-control, Strengths and Limitations.

Reading-chapter 10

April 18 Cognitively Based Treatment- treatment of Distorted or Deficient Thought Processes, Current status and Issues.

Reading-chapter 11 Quiz Due

April 25 Response Maintenance and Transfer of Training- Programming Response Maintenance and Transfer

Reading - Chapters 12

May 2 Social Ethical and Legal Contexts- Ethical Guidelines and Protection of Client rights. Reading-Chapter 13 Behavior Change Plans Paper Due

May 9 Current Issues and Future Directions &endash; Scope of Applications Reading - Chapter 14

May 16 Presentation of Behavior change plans, Final Review

May 28 Wednesday FINAL EXAM &endash; 11m to 12:50pm

15 points-Critical Response Paper- Present one or more case studies of a child, adolescent, or adult. The case ought to reflect a problem behavior or domain of impaired functioning most relevant to the course. Problems that serve as the focus can emphasize domains most pertinent to the course (e.g., social, behavioral, emotional, educational, and health domains). Ask the students to explain what technique(s) they would apply, the principles of these techniques and the goal of treatment, how the techniques would be applied to optimize change, and how the program effects would be assessed and evaluated. Or Evaluate a Behavior Modification Program or Cognitive Change treatment facility. Spend time observing a Behavior Modification Program or Cognitive Change treatment facility. This could be a school setting, a treatment program, a hospital setting or a business setting. Your first task will be to determine the design of the program. Next you will evaluate the effectiveness of this program, the strengths and weaknesses and complete the project by evaluating the behavior change. Write up a 3-page paper, APA format, with at least two journal articles as references.

Courses in which this textbook is used often include a term-long project that students complete in which they apply the contents of what they have learned. Below are an outline of the project and the sequence of activities stemming from selecting a target behavior to writing up the project.

The paper/project for the course serves as an opportunity to apply the concepts and methods of behavior modification in applied settings. In conjunction with the instructor, students are to develop a behavior-change program that is designed to alter the behavior of one (or more) individuals. The person whose behavior is to be changed is to be fully informed of the project and the tasks and program and must be an adult. For this project, the recommendation is not to design and apply a program for oneself, if at all possible. While self-control programs are important and interesting in their own right, they raise special issues (e.g., difficulty in ensuring that the consequences for behavior are contingent, independently assessing the target behavior). However, if other options are not available, self-administered programs can be used for this project.

The means of developing and evaluating a behavior-change program will be developed in class. Class time can be allocated specifically to discuss individual projects, so that the diverse projects of the class can be shared. The in-class discussions provide opportunities to generate diverse program options to change behavior and to devise strategies for observation and program evaluation. The project culminates in completion of a paper and a brief description and presentation to the class and used as a basis to discuss broader issues related to applying behavior-change principles in clinical work and society at large. Typically these papers have been approximately 10 double spaced pages. Appended to the paper may be any observation forms, data on the observer, raw data, and a graph of the main results.

The project includes several tasks, some of which begin early in the term, even though the write up of the project is not until later. To help begin the project, the first four chapters of the text are especially relevant. The initial tasks for the project are to:

1.Select a person whose behavior is to be changed and the specific behavior.

2. Discuss briefly in class the focus and goal of the program.

3. Begin to observe the behavior on a preliminary basis to develop the definition and observational method.

4. Obtain some reliability data or a converging source of information (e.g., another observer who can also assess behavior once in a while) if at all possible;

5. Begin formal observations and plotting of data on a graph and bring the graph to class for discussion and review.

6. Plan and discuss the intervention in class.

7. Based on the data pattern on the graph or time constraints, enter into the intervention phase.

8. Modify the intervention, as needed, based on class discussion; and

9. Change the phases or complete the experimental design, as needed.

The project is written up as a paper for the course. The paper should meet several formal requirements related to assessment, evaluation, and intervention methods discussed in the readings and in class. The project should be introduced briefly by citing other references from the readings that may have used a similar intervention technique or that focused on the target behaviors included in this program. After the Introduction, the Method section ought to describe the behavior, observation procedures and methods, experimental design, phases of the study, and intervention techniques in detail. It is useful to make subsections where each of these areas (e.g., behavior, and observation procedures) is presented. The results should include a graphic display of the data and explanation of the effects of the procedures. Methods for determining whether the change was reliable, as described in the text ought to be mentioned in the Results section. Also, if any comments can be made about the clinical significance of the change, even if not formally evaluated, that would be helpful. Finally, a brief Discussion should identify issues about the intervention, any weaknesses or problems with the program, and possible areas of improvements, if the project were to be redone. The following outline and headings may be useful for organizing the contents of the paper and for presenting the material:

Introduction

Method

Results

Discussion

References

Appendix (supporting material, such as observational sheets, graphic display of the data). - You will pick a behavior plan change. This written project needs to be APA formats, typed, stapled, no folders and a minimum of 6 references.

You will be graded on Theory/Research/New Information, Creativity of behavior change plan, and Paper clarity, Grammar, Structure.