2110. Behavior Principles and Personal Relations. 3 hours. Describes behavior principles that underlie social interactions among individuals. Identifies behavior patterns conducive to satisfying and socially productive interactions and patterns likely to be destructive to others as well as to oneself. Makes use of behavior principles to understand how behavior patterns change in relation to the behavior of others in the social environment. Students use behavior principles to understand the role of their own behavior in productive and in destructive interactions. May not be substituted for any course required for major.
2300. Behavior Principles I. 3 hours. Introduction to applied behavior analysis. Behavior is examined as a part of the natural world, with primary focus on principles describing relations between operant behavior and its consequences. The principles of reinforcement, extinction, differential reinforcement and punishment are related to naturally occurring events and to experimental and intervention procedures. Basic measurement concepts introduced. Satisfies the Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement of the University Core Curriculum.
2700. Behavior Principles II. 3 hours. Behavioral principles describing relations between behavior and antecedents. Principles of operant stimulus control, discrimination and generalization, stimulus equivalence and establishing operations are related to laboratory procedures, to occurrence in everyday life and to intervention techniques. Principles of respondent (Pavlovian) conditioning related to laboratory procedures, everyday occurrence and their applications in behavioral interventions.
3000. Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism I: Basic Techniques. 4 hours. (3;1) Describes basic treatment techniques involved in behavioral treatment of children with autism. Students learn behavioral characteristics and etiology of autism and the history of applied behavior analysis in autism, and complete extensive supervised practical training.
3150. Basic Behavior Principles. 3 hours. Basic principles underlying behavior change in all fields; experimental underpinnings of science of behavior; focus on the relations among events that account for the acquisition and maintenance of individual behavior.
3200. Science, Skepticism and Weird Behavior. 3 hours. Utilizes scientific critical thinking to examine the causes of various strange phenomena, including alleged paranormal events, magic, superstition, mystery illnesses, bogus therapies and pseudoscience. Seeks to explain why people believe and do weird things. Provides training in basic scientific thinking about causal explanations and in understanding the scientific method as applied to interesting everyday phenomena.
3440. Data Collection and Analysis. 4 hours. (3;1) Methods of observing and measuring behavior and for analyzing behavioral data. Topics include dimensional properties of behavior, techniques of direct observation, methods of summarizing data, preparing graphs and analyzing graphed data. Introduces single-subject experimental designs including reversal, multiple baseline and multielement designs.
3550. Behavior Change Techniques. 4 hours. (3;1) Designing and implementing behavior change techniques. Topics include shaping, discrimination training, instructional and imitation training, and differential reinforcement. Behavior change techniques will be applied in such settings as classrooms, institutions, workshops and group homes and their effectiveness evaluated.
3660. Survey of Applied Behavior Analysis Literature. 3 hours. Comprehensive survey of recent literature in multiple areas of application. Topics include applications in classroom behavior, skill acquisition, developmental disabilities, rehabilitation, interpersonal behavior, autism, community behaviors, family interactions, organizational behavior management and others.
3770. Building Skills with Behavior Technology. 4 hours. (3;1) Acquisition of complex repertoires for persons with developmental disabilities. Topics include selection of target behaviors, planning intervention procedures, evaluating results and ensuring maintenance of skills. Ethical and aesthetic considerations.
4000. Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism II: Program Development. 4 hours. (3;1) Describes curricular, research and development issues involved in the scientist-practitioner model of applied behavior analysis interventions for young children with autism. Students design data collection systems, identify variables affecting behavior, and evaluate program efficacy. Students conduct upper-level program design and implementation, and complete extensive practical training.
4010. Functional Analysis and Problem Behavior. 4 hours. (3;1) Introduction to function-based treatment approaches for problem behavior. Topics include anecdotal assessment, descriptive assessment, experimental analysis and various courses of treatment derived from functional assessment, with emphasis on the importance of consistency between procedures and the functional properties of problem behavior.
4310. Behavior Principles and Self-Management. 3 hours. Uses behavior principles to understand and deal with problems in self-management. Self-assessment of goals, options and necessary trade-offs is followed by a behavior analysis of the nature of the self-management problem. Each student applies behavioral principles to develop and implement an individual self-management plan to reach a particular short-term goal.
4400. Organizational Behavior Management. 3 hours. Describes theory and techniques of applying behavior analysis principles to solve performance problems and design more effective workplaces. Focuses on pinpointing critical work behaviors, measuring work performance, analyzing the contingencies responsible for the performance, implementing and evaluating intervention programs involving stimulus control, feedback and reinforcement systems to improve employee performance. Discusses organizational behavior management as a philosophy and as a tool for improving job performance in any organization.
4750. Capstone Course in Applied Behavior Analysis. 3 hours. Integrates and extends basic behavioral principles and behavior change procedures to address professional issues including behavioral assessment and goal development, selection of appropriate behavior change procedures, ethical and legal responsibilities, and technology transfer. Prepares students for professional certification in applied behavior analysis.
4800. Topics in Behavioral Applications. 3 hours. Focus is on the complex relations between behavior and the environment in specific kinds of settings. Topics include applications in institutional settings and work environments in public and private sectors, business and industry. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
4900. Special Problems. 1–3 hours.
4951. Honors College Capstone Thesis. 3 hours. Major research project prepared by the student under the supervision of a faculty member and presented in standard thesis format. An oral defense is required of each student for successful completion of the thesis.
Date of initial release: July 1, 2009 — Copyright © 2008 University of North Texas
Page updated:
March 22, 2010
— Comments or corrections: catalog@unt.edu
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