MALKA211 Introduction to Behavior Analysis Course description

Coursework requirements from MALK 4000-401 or equivalent must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements in MALKA211.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes

classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

•  can describe and discuss characteristics of behavior analysis as a science
• can identify core concepts and relations concerning respondent conditioning
• can identify core concepts and relations concerning operant conditioning
• can discuss the differences between respondent and operant conditioning
• can give an account for different measures of reliability
• can discuss the difference between procedure and process
• can identify the difference between sensation and perception
• can describe the terms absolute and difference threshold, and how these are derived
• can describe main structures and processes in different sensory modalities
• can describe different methods of observation and recording of behavior, and assess the appropriate methods in different applied setting

Skills

The student

• can observe and measure behavior

Competence

The student

• can explain core concepts in behavior analysis to the public
• can understand important aspects of behavior analysis as a science

Respondent and operant conditioning; reliability; sensation and perception; sensory modalities; observation and recording of behavior

The course will include lectures, exercises, discussion of read materials. The lectures will partly be based on interteaching sequences using literature from the curriculum. Students complete a self-management experiment involving registration and change of one's own behavior. Exercises using software simulating animal experiments (Sniffy the Virtual Rat) are included in this course.

Students submit 4 written assignments, each with maximum 3 pages including references, according to the deadlines in the course schedule.

Individual written examination with invigilation, 4 hours.

Exam questions are in English. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. 

None

 A grading scale of A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E is a pass grade and F is a fail grade

One internal and one external examiner