MALKA222 Clinical Behavior Analysis Course description

This course provides an overview of third generation clinical models and interventions. It draws specifically on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) while presenting other clinical approaches among third wave cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT). These therapies will be presented and discussed in light of a selection of diseases and disorders. This course aims at enhancing students’ ability to understand and select intervention strategies for approaching psychological distress.

Admission to the study program

This course will show how behavioral principles and concepts from respondent and operant conditioning are applied in research and practice.

Kull 2025: Coursework requirements from MALKA211 and MALKA212 or equivalent must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements in MALKA213.

Tidligere kull: Coursework requirements from MALK4000-401, MALK4000-403, MALKA211 and MALKA212 or equivalent must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements in MALKA213.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• describe the logic and the methodology of experimental designs

Skills

The student can

• demonstrate shaping of different types of behavior in animals by using computer software
• design and conduct experiments, either as single-case research designs or group designs
• write a manuscript in accordance with principles in the current edition of the APA manual, using data from the experiments
• use the principles for citations and references as given in the current edition of the APA manual
• write a review of a scientific topic and presents results from an experiment in line with relevant ethical standards for writing research papers

Competence

The student can

• ask and argue for relevant research questions
• describe methods of experiments
• present results from experiments
• discuss the results achieved in an experiment

This course concerns the application of behavioral principles to the workplace, introducing performance management and behavioral systems analysis, with strategies for positive reinforcement in performance improvement.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Introductory day of the course must be fully attended
• Registration in Cyberrat software must be documented

Individual written project examination in the form of a scientific article, on a selected topic, with a maximum length of 20 pages, including the title page, references, tables, and figures, but excluding appendices. The article should be written using Times New Roman 12-font with double spaced lines. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. Exam must include a signed document declarering that the data included in the exam is collected using the Cyberrat software.

Resit exam: If the exam is awarded the grade F (fail), the student will be given one (1) opportunity to submit a reworked version.

Campus-based lectures, student exercises, discussions and individual papers are the main teaching methods. Students read selected texts in advance for each day of class, and everyone is expected to participate in class through questions and through joining in discussion. Feedback is used on written assignments.