Behavioral cusp
Encyclopedia
A behavioral cusp is any behavior change that brings an organism's behavior into contact with new contingencies that have far-reaching consequences. A behavioral cusp is a special type of behavior change because it provides the learner with opportunities to access (1) new reinforcers, (2) new contingencies (3) new environments, (4) new related behaviors (generativeness), (5) competition with archaic or problem behaviors, and it (6) impacts the people around the learner, and (7) these people agree to the behavior change and support its development after the intervention is removed.
The concept has far reaching implications for every individual, and for the field of developmental psychology, because it provides a behavioral alternative to the concept of maturation
and change due to the simple passage of time, such as developmental milestones. The cusp is a behavior change that presents special features when compared to other behavior changes.
, an American developmental psychologist. The idea of the cusp was to link behavioral principles to rapid spurts in development (see Behavior analysis of child development
).
A behavioral cusp as conceptualized by Jesus Rosales-Ruiz & Donald Baer
in 1997 is an important behavior change that has an impact on future behavior changes. The behavioral cusp, like the reinforcer, is apprehended by its effects. Whereas a reinforcer acts on a single response or a group of related responses, the effects of a behavioral cusp regulate a large number of responses in a more distant future.
The concept has been compared to a developmental milestone, however, not all cusps are milestones. For example, learning to play soccer is not a milestone, but it was life-changing for Pelé
. As a result of learning to kick grapefruits (the initial important change or cusp), Pelé accessed (1) new environments, (2) new reinforcers, (3) new soccer moves, (4) dropped competing behaviors (smoking), and (5) gained international acclaims for his skill. Soccer is not a developmental milestone because it is not a necessary skill in most environments.
while decreasing problematic or archaic behaviors. Contingencies of reinforcement (before > R > Reinforcer) produce and maintain each and every learned behavior. New contingencies establish the control of new stimuli over our behaviors, and therefore make us more sensitive and aware of our surrounding.
for 50 words. When a new word is presented the child learns by listening to a teacher and memorizes the words rather than using what he has previously learned (reading 50 words). Additionally, he is now dependent on someone for learning each new vocabulary word.
, and other developmental disabilities is humane and based on evidence from the field of behavior analysis. The first applications of the concept derive from a set of guidelines proposed by Bosch and Fuqua in The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
.
).
As importantly, the existing parameters (proposed by Rosales-Ruiz, Baer, Bosch, & Fuqua) provides justifications for behavioral interventions in the same way that a killer app replaced MS-DOS with Windows operating systems.
The concept has far reaching implications for every individual, and for the field of developmental psychology, because it provides a behavioral alternative to the concept of maturation
Maturation
Maturation could refer to any of the following:* Fetal development* Developmental biology* Emotional development* Or physical maturation of any biological life form - see individual articles for maturation of different life forms....
and change due to the simple passage of time, such as developmental milestones. The cusp is a behavior change that presents special features when compared to other behavior changes.
History
The concept was first proposed by Sidney W. BijouSidney W. Bijou
Sidney William Bijou was an American developmental psychologist who developed an approach of treating childhood disorders using behavioral therapy, in which positive actions were rewarded and negative behaviors were largely ignored, rather than punished.-Early life and education:Bijou was born in...
, an American developmental psychologist. The idea of the cusp was to link behavioral principles to rapid spurts in development (see Behavior analysis of child development
Behavior analysis of child development
Child development in behavior analytic theory has origins in John B. Watson's behaviorism. Watson wrote extensively on child development and conducted research . Watson was instrumental in the modification of William James' stream of consciousness approach to construct a stream of behavior theory...
).
A behavioral cusp as conceptualized by Jesus Rosales-Ruiz & Donald Baer
Donald Baer
Donald M. Baer was a psychologist who contributed to the applied behavior analysis movement and pioneered the development of behavior analysis at two separate institutions. Dr. Baer is best known for his contributions at the University of Kansas. Throughout his career, he published over two...
in 1997 is an important behavior change that has an impact on future behavior changes. The behavioral cusp, like the reinforcer, is apprehended by its effects. Whereas a reinforcer acts on a single response or a group of related responses, the effects of a behavioral cusp regulate a large number of responses in a more distant future.
The concept has been compared to a developmental milestone, however, not all cusps are milestones. For example, learning to play soccer is not a milestone, but it was life-changing for Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
. As a result of learning to kick grapefruits (the initial important change or cusp), Pelé accessed (1) new environments, (2) new reinforcers, (3) new soccer moves, (4) dropped competing behaviors (smoking), and (5) gained international acclaims for his skill. Soccer is not a developmental milestone because it is not a necessary skill in most environments.
Properties of a behavioral cusp
The following properties are special features of a behavioral change that lead to more change, and an increased likelihood of social adaptation, independence, and cultural fitness.New reinforcers
New reinforcers are accessible and enrich the perspective of the learner. Additionally these reinforcers may lead to an increase in the variety of behaviors. If the reinforcers are promoting health and social behaviors, they will lead to an improved quality of life.Case example
A child who learns to open a door may access the swing for the first time and learns to use the swing. Here, the new skill (swinging motion is the reinforcer) may lead to more complex and social activities such as (1) turn taking, (2) asking someone to share the swing, (3) taking turns pushing someone, which in turn (4) may provide more social opportunities to speak and (5) interact with the play partners, etc.Case non-example
A child learns to open a door and walks outside. He finds some ants behind a shrubbery and watches the ants. His parents are looking for him, they get worried and are calling him. The child is unusually mesmerized by columns of ants on the ground and does not hear the calls. His parents find him shortly after, but they are frantic from their 5-minute search and accidentally scare him from going outside. In this non-example, learning to open doors that lead outside resulted in consequences that did not directly benefit the child and maybe decrease important skills related to exploration and search. In this case, no new reinforcers were contacted and learning to open the backyard door (that has a special latch) was effectively a waste of time because the child's parents don't usually approve being alone in the backyard.New contingencies of reinforcement
New contingencies are responsible for the selection of novel and more adaptive behaviorsAdaptive Behaviors
Adaptive behavior refers to a person's social responsibility and independent performance of daily activities. The term is used in numerous arenas...
while decreasing problematic or archaic behaviors. Contingencies of reinforcement (before > R > Reinforcer) produce and maintain each and every learned behavior. New contingencies establish the control of new stimuli over our behaviors, and therefore make us more sensitive and aware of our surrounding.
New environments
New environments are geographical and/or virtual areas of potential change (receiving environments). New environments regulate, maintain, and set the micro-cultural boundaries for reinforcers (and punishers), and their antecedents. They include tools and stakeholders controlling the pace and content of instruction and, as a result, they regulate boundary of what the learner learns (e.g., school curriculum). New environments must contain some of the stakeholders' preferences and reinforcers to create lasting positive reinforcement practices for the learner.Generativeness
Generativeness describes the ability of the receiving environment to regulate novel responses, functions, values or response products derived from the original cusp response. For a behavior, it is the ability to recombine or merge into more complex units, or the ability to contact environments.Case example
A child learns phonetic reading and can recombine the 50 or so English phonemes into 50,000 words by recombining the individual sounds he has learned to read. The generative index for this act of learning the basic English phonemes is approximately 10,000 (where one new behavior results in a potential 10,000 applications).Case non-example
A child learns sight readingSight reading
Sight-reading is the reading and performing of a piece of written music, specifically when the performer has not seen it before. Sight-singing is often used to describe a singer who is sight-reading.-Sight-reading:...
for 50 words. When a new word is presented the child learns by listening to a teacher and memorizes the words rather than using what he has previously learned (reading 50 words). Additionally, he is now dependent on someone for learning each new vocabulary word.
Competition with archaic behaviors
Behavior competition is the ability of cusp behaviors (killer app) to displace previously established behaviors on a continuum of intensity and rate, across repertoires, and environments. Competing archaic behaviors occur on a corresponding continuum of severity.Impact on stakeholders
Impact on others comes from the learner's behavior impacting the stakeholders who control reinforcers and punishers in a specific environment. It is important to identify these stakeholders' motivations and reinforcers in selecting potential cusps. Impact refers to the changes in values and behaviors of the stakeholder resulting from a cusp in the learner. The initial and gradually more complex behaviors that constituted the entry point for an important behavior change that, once initiated, so profoundly alters, displaces, or transforms one's behavioral repertoire that it renders preexisting behavioral repertoires obsolete. A behavioral cusp is an important behavior change that alters the probability of the learner's future repertoires and interactions with stakeholders' repertoires.Social validity
Social validity is an indicator of social acceptability of a behavior and its consequences for the stakeholders representing the communities which the learner is accessing or will access. Some seemingly insignificant changes in a stakeholder may dramatically impact the learner. All stakeholders (e.g., government officials, teachers, parents, and other interventionists) should agree to the goals, methods, and tools for the intervention and the norms from the local community suggest the boundaries of what should be learned.Life span/development guidelines
The behavioral cusp has implications for the selection and sequencing of skills during the life span. While milestones are mainly concerned with the chronology of behaviors, the concept of behavioral cusp is concerned with the fitness of the behavior within a context or a receiving environment. As Rosales-Ruiz and Baer (1997) stated, "One child's cusp may be another child's waste of time." Thus, there is a great need for empirically-based guidelines in making decisions related to the initial selection of skills.Prediction and control of development over longer periods of time
The applications of the concepts are related to the prediction, selection, and retention of successful and adaptive behaviors to the treatment of childhood autism, Down syndromeDown syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
, and other developmental disabilities is humane and based on evidence from the field of behavior analysis. The first applications of the concept derive from a set of guidelines proposed by Bosch and Fuqua in The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis was established in 1968 as a peer-reviewed, psychology journal, that publishes research about applications of the experimental analysis of behavior to problems of social importance....
.
Development of new technology
A new technology and methodology, necessary to measure the effects of a small change over time, will reveal a strong dependence on the initial conditions selected by a cusp specialist (butterfly effectButterfly effect
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state...
).
| Cusp Applications | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Teacher Training | Post-Curriculum/instructional Design | Job Placement and Retention |
| Industry | Performance Management | Job Satisfaction | Products Analysis |
| Behavioral Medicine | Disease Prevention | Healthy Life Style | Cost Analysis |
Future research
Future research will elucidate the nature and parameters of the criteria and the tools used in the selection and sequencing of skills.As importantly, the existing parameters (proposed by Rosales-Ruiz, Baer, Bosch, & Fuqua) provides justifications for behavioral interventions in the same way that a killer app replaced MS-DOS with Windows operating systems.
See also
- BehaviorismBehaviorismBehaviorism , also called the learning perspective , is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do—including acting, thinking, and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviors, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior...
- Behavior analysis of child developmentBehavior analysis of child developmentChild development in behavior analytic theory has origins in John B. Watson's behaviorism. Watson wrote extensively on child development and conducted research . Watson was instrumental in the modification of William James' stream of consciousness approach to construct a stream of behavior theory...
- Child developmentChild developmentChild development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
- Child development stagesChild development stagesChild development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
- Child psychology
- Critical periodCritical periodThis article is about a critical period in an organism's or person's development. See also America's Critical Period.In general, a critical period is a limited time in which an event can occur, usually to result in some kind of transformation...
- Face ValidityFace validityFace validity is a property of a test intended to measure something. It is the validity of a test at face value. In other words, a test can be said to have face validity if it "looks like" it is going to measure what it is supposed to measure...
- Feral childFeral childA feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language...
- Functional analysis (psychology)Functional analysis (psychology)Functional analysis in behavioral psychology is the application of the laws of operant conditioning to establish the relationships between stimuli and responses...
- Early childhood educationEarly childhood educationEarly childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...
- PedagogyPedagogyPedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
- psychological behaviorismPsychological behaviorismPsychological behaviorism is a theory of personality proposed by Arthur W. Staats. It argues that personality consists of a set of learned behavioral patterns, acquired through the interaction between an individual's biology, environment, cognition, and emotion.-Description:According to this...
- Play (activity)Play (activity)Play is a term employed in ethology and psychology to describe to a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment...
- Attachment in childrenAttachment in childrenNewborn humans infants cannot survive without a caregiver to provide food and protection, and will not thrive without other types of support as well. While infants have relatively few inborn behaviors—such as crying, rooting, and sucking—they also come with many behavioral systems ready to be...
- Professional practice of behavior analysisProfessional practice of behavior analysisThe professional practice of behavior analysis is one domain of behavior analysis: others being behaviorism, experimental analysis of behavior and applied behavior analysis...
- Applied Behavior AnalysisApplied Behavior AnalysisApplied behavior analysis is a science that involves using modern behavioral learning theory to modify behaviors. Behavior analysts reject the use of hypothetical constructs and focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the environment...