Lesson 3: Defining Behavior

Attention

This is actually an ad for a website that encourages you to take pictures of people you don't know...but a "stranger" may help you with the assignments in this Lesson!

For a really comprehensive (and alternative) treatment of this subject, click HERE to download the Defining Behavior documents from The Iris Center.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

• Discuss the circumstances under which we do not use appropriate descriptions for behavior
• Write measurable behavior descriptions
• Analyze behavior descriptions utilizing the Dead Man's Test and the Stranger Test

Teaching

All of you likely know that if you tell your child to go clean their room it will most likely not be YOUR kind of clean. The reason for this is that the term "clean" means something different to your child than it does to you. In fact, we ALL have a different idea as to what "clean" means. For your request to work your child needs to know EXACTLY what YOU mean by clean.

Behavior Plans are like Job Descriptions. The plans that we create need to specify exactly what it is we want people to do so we can observe it, measure it, and later, reward it!

Three problems occur in many behavior plans:

• Plans are written where the behavior is not even identified
• Plans are written and the descriptions of the behaviors are not specific enough
• Plans are written for people to NOT do something

Replacement and Preferred Behavior Descriptions

In the world of Education the behavior is often called the "Target Behavior" or the "Problem Behavior Description." The behavior that we WANT them to do instead is called the "Replacment" or "Preferred" behavior...we will learn a lot about how to identify replacement behaviors when we discuss Functional Analysis.

However, the way in which we write these descriptions is still very important. They have to be important and socially relevant behaviors, they need to be clearly defined and measurable, and multple observers need to be able to identify when the behavior has happened.

Here are some examples:

Unidentified Behaviors

I have seen many instances in which a plan is written and the behavior of the target person is not identified. Sometimes they identify the results of behavior (Billy will get at least a B in all classes), the location in which the behavior is to occur (Billy will attend after-school study sessions 4x per week), or the behavior of someone else is identified (Billy will participate in 2 hours of tutoring each week).

These types of plans are used a lot because they are easy to measure and they LOOK like good behavior plans. None of them identify what Billy is supposed to DO to earn the B in all of his classes, what he is to DO when he attends the after-school sessions, and what he is supposed to DO when he is attending his tutoring sessions!

Non-specific Behaviors

These behavior plans focus on things that look like behavior descriptions but they are not. Examples might include plans regarding attitudes (Billy will have a positive attitude about school each day), manners (Billy will be polite to his fellow students during lunch time), tasks that seem like learning (Billy will study for 2 hours each day), and behaviors that seem good (Billy will pay attention in class).

But what do any of these really mean? What exactly is a "positive attitude"? What is "polite"? How do I really really really know that Billy is paying attention...could he be daydreaming?

Not-Behaviors

These are the most common behavior plan errors. These identify behaviors that we want to go away and might include the 10 commandments, no spitting, no eating in class, no pulling of the girl's pigtails, etc.

The problem is that when we create a plan to eliminate one behavior it opens up the opportunity to get rewarded for other behaviors...here is an example.

Mom to Alan: Do not hit your brother!
Alan to Mom: OK, I won't hit my brother
Alan then trips his little brother Mark for NO REASON!
Mom to Alan: Why did you do that? I just told you to leave your brother alone!
Alan to Mom: Well, you didn't say "Leave him alone" you said "Don't hit him" and I didn't, I tripped him...that is not hitting!

I think all you parents know exactly what I'm talking about

This is why the 10 Commandments aren't working very well...we fudge all the meanings so they are not quite so bad...

• You shall have no other Gods before me (Well...we do sort of worship movie stars, ourselves, and money)
• No carved images (Hmmm...but that statue, the cross around my neck...that's OK)
• Don't take the Lord's name in vain (Well, that is ridiculous damn it!)
• Honor you mother and Father (This is actually a good one...it is not a not-behaivor!)
• You shall not murder (But war is OK)
• You shall not commit adultery (But I can look at that girl/guy walking by!)
• You shall not steal (Unless the music artist is already famous, rich, and doesn't even know I downloaded her song!)
• You shall not bear false witness (Are white lies really that color?)
• You shall not covet (Oooo...but I want that car, that house, that pool, etc)

Given the "NOT" commandments, we are free to find loopholes

The Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) is MUCH better.

So...How do we write really really good Behavior Descriptions

We conduct two tests on anything that we write. The tests are simple, but that is deceptive. You have to be really imaginative in conducting the test on a behavior description. And ONLY when the description passes BOTH tests is it good enough for Behavior Management!

Dead Man's Test

The Dead Man's Test states that a behavior that can be done by a dead man is NOT a well-written behavior. Imagine...can a dead man attend a tutoring session (yes), seem to pay attention in class (yes), be seen studying quietly (yes), and NOT hit their brother (yes)!

As you can see, a Dead Man can do a LOT! So when you write up a behavior description, can a Dead Man do it? If so, rewrite the description!

Stranger Test

People are generally egocentric...so we think that everyone thinks the same way we do. So if I say that my child is "throwing a fit" you MUST understand what I'm talking about...you know...A FIT!!

The reality is that people DON'T see the world the same way...so we need to be very specific about our Behavior Descriptions so that if anyone else has to look at our plan they will know exactly what we are talking about.

Any Behavior Description that passes BOTH the Stranger Test and the Dead Man's Test will be a good Behavior Description. Click HERE for an interesting website on the development of IEP goals!

Assessment

Lesson 3 Discussion

In this discussion I want you to propose ideas for the Assignment below! Yup, run your ideas by your peers prior to doing the assignment so you can be SURE that you can see all the angles at which the Stranger Test and Dead Man's Test can trip you up! I expect each of you to post at least one Behavior Description and respond to at least one other person's Description.

Lesson 3 Assignment

This is a written document submitted to the Drop Box. It must be in MS Word or PDF with a Title Page

Come up with three behaviors that you would like to see change in the people around you (one of them must be a behavior change that you would like to see in yourself)

Write each one out such that it passes BOTH the Dead Man's Test and the Stranger Test. Be sure to run your descriptions by others who are familiar with the Tests to be sure, this is more tricky than you think!

EXPLAIN, in detail, why each description passes both the Dead Man's Test and the Stranger Test (by this I mean that you write out justifications for EACH behavior you have described.

An outline for each Description might go like this:

• Description 1
• Short descripton of the problem that you are trying to address
• Behavior description (this is the part that will be "tested" with the Dead Man and Stranger tests)
• Justification (a brief explanation as to why you think this behavior description DOES pass the tests)
• Description 2...etc. etc.

Lesson 3 Assignment Grading Rubric