VERB2200 Behavior Analysis - from Theory to Application Course description

The main focus of the course is to learn how behaviour is established, changed, and maintained to increase independence and improve quality-of-life. The students will learn the basic principles of behaviour analysis and how behaviour is operationalised and measured. The course also introduces experimental methodology with an emphasis on single-subject designs to allow students to assess the effect of behavior analytic interventions and understand research results in the field. Self-determination, social validity and the legal basis for services provided are emphasized. Different schools of thought in the field of psychology are compared. Relevant philosophy of science and ethics are presented, along with the historical development of applied behaviour analysis.

The course is taught over ten weeks, including one week for Interact.

Passed VERB1100, VERB1600, VERB1300, VERB1400, VERB1510 and VERB1210.

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

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the main features of the historical development of applied behaviour analysis
• can explain how philosophy of science is relevant to the practice of applied behaviour analysis
• can explain basic principles of behaviour analysis
• can describe different ways of observing and measuring behaviour
• can discuss self-determination, supported decision-making and social validity
• can describe different single-subject experimental designs and selected research methods that can be used in social education
• can describe characteristics of empirically supported interventions

Skills

The student

• can assess similarities and differences between important theories in the disciplines of psychology and pedagogy
• can assess social validity of interventions based on behaviour analytic principles
• can operationalise and analyse behaviour
• can assess the effect of interventions by analysing figures that present single-subject experimental designs
• can apply basic legal methods to implement lawful and professional practice
• can assess how welfare technology can be introduced to support the individual's resources and possibilities for mastery of functional skills

General competence

The student

• can apply behaviour analytic principles to promote self-determination and equal participation in society in line with applicable legislation, professional guidelines and ethical considerations
• can assess the effect of interventions based on behaviour analytic principles to promote socially valid behaviour change
• can apply relevant and up-to-date specialist literature to shed light on practical problems, make well-founded choices and apply behaviour analytic principles in socially valid behavior change

The teaching and learning methods include lectures, self-study, skills training, Interteaching, flipped classroom, podcast, case studies and assignments in groups with or without feedback/supervision, and submission of written assignments. The multiple-choice test can be taken as many times as the student wants/needs to.

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

• 100% attendance in supervised group work in groups of six students
• completed multiple-choice test by the given deadline
• Individual written paper, up to 1,000 words. Feedback on content in accordance with specified criteria

Individual written examination with invigilation, 4 hours

The student may bring one A4 sheet of own notes on one side of the paper of relevance to the exam. The notes can be written by hand or typed but cannot include material copied from or pictures from books/specialist literature.

Grade scale A-F

All answers are assessed by two examiners.

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.

5 credits overlap with VERN1400(1)/VERND1400(1)/VERNL1400(1) - equivalent behaviour analysis

10 credits overlap with VERN2110/VERND2110/VERNL2110