u01d1 Unit 1 Discussion 1
1- In this unit, you have learned about the functions of measurement in ABA. For this discussion, post a substantive response to the following:
- Describe three scenarios in which measurement is crucial in identifying the effectiveness of a program, product, skill set, system, or similar.
- Explain why measurement is crucial and describe what would happen if effectiveness was not measured.
- According to the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts, identify and discuss the relevant ethics code(s) pertaining to the importance of measuring behavior.
2- Reply to your classmate’s post below
45 minutes ago
Describe three scenarios in which measurement is crucial in identifying the effectiveness of a program, product, skill set, system, or similar.
Tantrums, eloping, and self-injury are some scenarios where measurement is crucial to identifying effectiveness because these types of behaviors are a safety risk and client safety is always a priority. If a behavior is only estimated through guessing or opinions then a clear picture of whether the behavior is trending in the appropriate direction isn’t clear (Zuriff, 1985). Without clear and concise data, the practitioner could make critical mistakes and perhaps even reinforce a problem behavior rather than eliminate it.
Explain why measurement is crucial and describe what would happen if effectiveness was not measured.
Having reliable and repeatable systems to collect data is essential in order to eliminate errors and to establish consistent and verifiable information (Zuriff, 1985). The ability to describe, predict, and control knowledge is necessary when sharing it with others to evaluate and understand. Continuing an ineffective treatment that causes no behavior change doesn’t allow a clinician to detect successes or failures for the client (Bushell & Baer, 1994).
According to the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts, identify and discuss the relevant ethics code(s) pertaining to the importance of measuring behavior.
Measurement involves ethics by knowing whether a treatment is effective through measurment. The behavior will indicate if the intended purpose to be treated is being addressed. If the needs of the client are not being met then the clinician could be at risk for malpractice (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2020).
References
Bushell, D., Jr., & Baer, D. M. (1994). Measurably superior instruction means close, continual contact with the relevant outcome data. Brooks/Cole.
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.
Zuriff, G. E. (1985). Behaviorism: A conceptual reconstruction. New York: Columbia University Press.
