PSYK1420 General Principles of Behavior Analysis Course description

Knowing how behaviour is influenced by the surroundings is important and this knowledge can be used to plan and carry out different change and training measures. Special terminology is used to conduct precise analyses of behaviour and environmental influences.

This course is offered to students on exchange at OsloMet and is therefore normally taught in English. The course may be taught in Norwegian if no English-speaking students are enrolled.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• explain the basic assumptions for a behaviour analytic approach
• explain the place of behaviour analysis in psychology
• explain the research methods used in behaviour analysis
• explain reinforcement conditions
• explain how behaviour is established, transferred and maintained

Skills

The student can

• apply basic behaviour analysis concepts
• apply methods to observe and record behaviour
• conduct the following procedures:
  • discrete trials training
  • precision teaching

Competence

The student can

• describe behaviour analysis strategies
• conduct and reflect on their own presentation technique
• assess ethical issues in applied behavior analysis.

Work and teaching methods used in the course are lectures, seminars, self-study and student-initiated group work. Students will present subject matter at the seminars. Participation in these seminars is compulsory. Tests will be held during the course and students will also present assignments related to the syllabus. The assignments will be set by the person with course responsibility.

In order to sign up for the final exam the following has to be approved:

• Presence throughout the day at 3 seminars. The seminars include:

• Present in grooups of 3-5 students, 1-3 given topics to fellow students
• Evaluate 1-3 presentations by fellow students (both academic content and presentation technique)

Supervised individual written exam, three hours.

The exam paper may be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, or English.

None

Grade scale A-F.

All answers are assessed by one examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

10 ECTs overlap with the course PSYK1410 (15 ECTS).