Behavior Systems Analysis

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Behavior Systems Analysis
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What is BSA?

• BSA is a 2 credit course designed to implement
  the concepts learned in Psychology 460 and/or 444
• Students analyze organizational contingencies and
  implement interventions based on this analysis
• This course helps you apply the 6 steps of
  behavior analysis in a real life setting.
• This project is not hypothetical and all data and
  interventions are REAL!!!

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Whats the Purpose of BSA?

• To gain experience in OBM
• Teach students the principles of Behavior Systems
  Analysis
• So they can use their training to analyze
  problems in real settings
• Increase their knowledge and fluency of those
  principles
• To improve the well-being and functioning of
  organizations and society.

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I am really busy this semester! How Demanding is
BSA?

• Thats totally up to you!!!!!
• You are only required to put in as much time as
  you can
• But the catch.
• The more time you put in to your organization the
  better it will be

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I am not really all that interested in OBM.
Should I still participate?

• Definitely!!!
• BSA provides students with not only OBM
  experience, but also, with management experience

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What is MY role in the BSA Project?

• Attending BSA class.
• Complete assignments.
• Conduct a professional interview
• Pinpoint an problematic area in and organization
  that you're assigned to.
• Implement an intervention in your organization!!!
• Do Final Fiesta/Power Point Presentation

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Who will be supervising me???
Dont worry!! There will always be someone you
can call if you have any questions! We are always
available and are more than willing to help you
on your project.
Hey Dont freak out! Check out these past BSA
projects!
Im worried to do this project alone. What if
something goes wrong??

• You will be supervised by a graduate student and
  an undergraduate student!

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Example Projects

• Hall/Swanson Staff
• Ricky Schroeders Department Store
• Breakfast Club Academy

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In Quest of Perfection One Staffs Journey

• Mark Paul Gosselar
• Psychology 460
• T.A. Shannon Doherty
• 03.16.02

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Reason to Intervene

• The Hall Directors (HD) goal is to have the
  Resident Assistants (RA) turn in their activity
  sheets once a week or 100 of the time.

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Design the Intervention

• Informative meeting and job-aids to help staff
  remember how to fill in activity reports and
  their location.
• The Senior R.A. will put up a sticker per week
  per R.A. on a chart in the office to show the
  staff their progress.
• The H.D. will praise and give corrective feedback
  to the staff members weekly.

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Intervention

• If an R.A. doesnt turn in their activity sheet,
  they will have to do all the other R.As bulletin
  boards.
• They hate doing bulletin boards.

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Evaluate the Intervention

• The performance manager (ME) evaluated the data
  on a weekly basis.
• Every staff member wasnt turning in their
  activity sheets weekly. Baseline about 30
• The intervention changed that!
• The R.A.s turned in their sheets just about
  weekly. Intervention about 100
• The intervention was a success!

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Year at a Glance
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Hall/Swanson Staff
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Second Project
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Increasing On Time Arrival at Ricky Schroeders
Department Store

• Psychology 460
• AC Slater
• TA Screech Powers
• April 22, 2002

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Ricky Schroeders
Ricky Schroeders
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The Problem

• Employees are showing up to work late
• Employees are absent
• WHY?......

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The Manager of Ricky Schroeders and I Must
Design an Intervention

• It must be EFFECTIVE
• It must be INEXPENSIVE

• It must NOT be Timely
• It must NOT be Tedious

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REWARD SYSTEM

• Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Winners
• Daily All employees that show up to work on
  time will be eligible to win a 15 minute break.
• One person per day will win coupon for break.
• Weekly The employees(part time full time)
  with the highest of on time work arrival will
  be eligible to win a 10 gift certificate to
  spend at Ricky Schroeders.
• Monthly The employees(part time full time)
  with the highest of on time work arrival will
  be eligible to create his/her own schedule for
  the following week of work.

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Year At a Glance
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Third Project
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A Behavior Systems Analysis Approach To Improving
Behavior of Delinquent Children

• George Jefferson
• Spring 2005
• TA Name Weezy Jefferson

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Setting and Participant Description

• Breakfast Club Academy (BCA) located in
  downtown Yellow Brick Roadsville, MI
• 20-60 children from surrounding neighborhoods
  attend for open gym night
• From 3rd graders up to 6th graders
• 3 Children with high rate behavioral problems
  selected
• BCA staff volunteer helpers

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The Behavioral Battle

• BCA has a community service based program in
  which neighborhood children can participate
• Running in the hallways is the most frequent
  cause of injury
• Most children that participate are not easily
  persuaded and it takes some guidance to get them
  to follow rules
• Most volunteer staff have had no prior training
  with children

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Behavioral Battle Cont.

• A controlled environment equals a safe and fun
  atmosphere for the children
• The fewer problems that occur the more children
  that are allowed to attend the open gym nights
• No contingencies were in place to control the
  childrens behavior

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Analyze the Natural Contingencies

• The probability of a child exhibiting appropriate
  behavior was minimal even when someone gave them
  prompts and corrective feedback
• The child that showed off or pushed the limits
  of supervisory control received praise and
  attention from peers. This reinforcement caused
  problem behaviors to increase in frequency

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Analyze the Natural Contingencies

• Ineffective Natural Contingency

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Analyze the Natural Contingencies

• Natural Competing Contingency

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Specify the Performance Objectives

• Lower the amount of inappropriate behavior
  (behavior requiring supervisory guidance)
• Have all children understand and follow the rules
• Create an environment that is safe for the group
  to interact
• Lower or end the need for hall monitors

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Design the Intervention

• Inform social director/manager of the
  intervention
• Inform the group (children) of the system
• Create a data collection sheet to record
  behaviors
• For every incorrect behavior, child must do 15
  pushups, or leave the gym.

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Design the Intervention

• Three Contingency Model of Performance Management

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Implement the Intervention

• Attend and record intervention, twice per week,
  for three weeks
• Every time a child is caught running in the
  hallways by a supervisor, or myself, they will be
  reprimanded and be told to do 15 push ups or they
  will be asked to leave
• At the end of the day the intervention will be
  evaluated
• Look at the difference between pre-incorrect
  behavior, and post

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Evaluate the Intervention

• The data showed that there has been a definite
  decrease in the problem behavior of running in
  the hallways
• Hallway supervisors mentioned the rule too many
  times and were inconsistent with applying
  consequences
• Since the outcomes for violating the rule were
  improbable or too small they did not control the
  childrens behavior

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Evaluate the Intervention
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Is this a realistic goal?

• This was a very real, working intervention
• Due to changes in behavior from baseline to
  intervention, we can see that it was effective
• With the number of children attending the gym
  nights this intervention created a much more fun
  and safe atmosphere for everyone involved.
• No cost

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Conclusion

• PROS
• Easy to apply
• Fast and effective
• No cost
• Decrease in injuries

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Conclusion Cont.

• CONS
• Very infrequent attendance by volunteers
• Some volunteers and children possibly
  misunderstood the intervention
• The children attending where only 3rd thru 6th
  graders

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Discussion

• A need for more research on the difference
  between age groups, possibly separating the
  younger children from the older children
• Mandatory behavior training for all supervisors
  and staff would greatly improve the effectiveness
  and understanding of the intervention
• A follow up to see if the staff is still
  following the intervention and to see if it is
  still effective

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I AM SAVING THE WORLD WITH BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS!
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What do I get out of participating in BSA?

• 2 credits
• A great letter of recommendation from Dr. Malott
• Practical experience in Behavior Analysis
• Guidance to achieve your personal goals in
  psychology
• Networking with organizations
• A better understanding of the six steps of
  behavior systems analysis.

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Oh yesEven more benefits!!

• Applied experience in OBM
• A chance to boost your GPA (an A in a two
  credit course)
• A great opportunity to build your resume or vita
• Your BSA projects can be used as your 460 Final
  Fiesta project (this puts you ahead of the other
  460 students)
• And lets not forget..a FUN TIME!

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Questions or Comments?