In this session we will discuss the key elements involved in writing operational definitions for the identified target behaviors. Students will analyze weak behavioral definitions and practice writing operational definitions for various target behaviors.
1. Write clear, observable, and measurable definitions for each of the following behaviors:
a. Jeff is always disruptive in class.
b. Hailey is constantly off-task during math.
c. Chris is defiant.
d. Brandon is angry and hostile.
e. Alexis uses inappropriate language.
2. Sonia is in her second year of grad school, and her classes meet in the late afternoon and evening. She was dismayed to realize that she gained 25 pounds over the course of the past year. She realized that her eating routine is a mess because of her classes. She is often hungry around 3:30 and eats a snack before class, such as crackers with hummus. At 7 p.m. she is on break between classes, and she eats a sandwich for dinner with her classmates. She gets out of class at 9:40 p.m. and gets home at 10:30. Even though she is tired, she likes to relax and wind down before going to sleep. She typically sits at her kitchen table and watches TV. She finds that she is hungry and eats a snack, such as chips with spinach and artichoke dip or rice and beans. By midnight she is in bed and ready to go to sleep.
Conduct an ABC analysis and consider a behavior intervention plan.
