Psychology 502: Applied Behavior Analysis

Below is a photo of Katie Becker fufilling her life’s dream. Learn more about Katie (at the very bottom of this page) and opportunities for working with marine mammals at the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Oceans of Fun. Also read Tim O’Connell’s piece Attempting to One-Up the Unbelievable (see Sample Articles 2004).

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Syllabus Fall 2014

Flash Cards and Software for 5th Edition of Ray Miltenberger’s text:

Flash Card for 5th Edition of Miltenberger

Manual for Using StarFast Software

StarFast Software for Miltenberger 5th ed.

Other Instructional Material:

Some Questions Asked by Students of Behavior Analysis

Test-Related Material:

Fall 2010 Exams and Model Answers

Final Examination: Outline for Providing Applied Behavior Analytic Services

Final Examination: Old Questions

Final Examination: Model Answers

Placements:

Help a Child on the Autism Spectrum Using Applied Behavior Analysis

Observe Dog Training

Sample Articles

Each semester I asked students to write a story, no longer than 1,000 words, that described environmental events influencing behavior. The stories were to be based on each student’s life. Students could either describe behavior control in terms of particular operations or use behavior analytic concepts.

With each student’s permission, some of the best papers appear below.  Worth noting is that nearly all the papers required at least two and often four or more revisions.

Sample Articles 1995:

Enhancing Reading Fluency with Reinforcement by Marshall L Dermer

What’s Missing by Sara L. Cornwell

No Advice Today! by Felicia A. Rosland

Sample Articles 2000:

How Was Your Weekend by Kelle Wright

A Lesson in Tactfulness

Sample Articles 2001:

Don’t Stiff the Piano Player by Tony Jaszewski

My Ultimately Disastrous Attempt to Operantly Condition Sex by Anonymuos

Sample Articles 2004:

Time to Air the Dirty Laundry Better Yet, Get Someone Else to Do It! by Laura Lewis

Attempting to One-Up the Unbelievable by Tim O’Connell

Sample Articles 2005:

Cry Baby by Anonymous

How a Bag of Nickels Saved My Mother’s Sanity by Dana Troullier

Sample Articles 2006:

Getting My Way by Brainy Lady

My Uncle Snoopy by Dana Ignarski

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks by Kevin Rice

Witlessly Punishing My Boyfriend’s Desirable Behavior by Meyer Mansky

Sample Article 2007:

Getting My Way by Ms. Brainy

Sample Articles 2008:

The Wrong Way and the Right Way to Make Love, A Newlywed’s Survival Guide  by Sarah Welte

A Functional Analysis of “Stomach Problems” by Max Beckert

Long Distance Sex by Wisconsin Lady

Sample Articles 2009:

Coaching: It’s Behavior by Frank Simac

Gone Fishing by Brian Bennewitz

An Uncomfortable Beginning by Katie L. Shope

Sample Articles 2010:

Controlling the Green-Eyed Monster by Megan Laib

Intermittent Reinforcement of My Romantic Behavior by Ruth Zimmer

One Night in November by Stuart Cotter

Reducing Sandy’s Begging by Jerica Manfred

Saved by the Chime by Sean Nelson

The Red Flags by Deandra Christianson

Sample Articles 2011:

Baby Talk by Prunus Laurocerasus

Diesel Loves Attention by Tyler Nighbor

How We Stopped Wasting Our Bread by Valerie Esser

No Raison for Visiting by Carly Marohl

Soap’s Aggression and Butter’s Modeling by Sean Harvey

Sample Articles 2013:

Getting Owen to Live with the Dishwashing Machine by Ms. Accentuate the Positive

How My Partner’s Love Improved My Academic Record by Lucky Lady

Less Nagging, More Bragging by Phillip Stutzman

How Dum-Dums Saved My Sanity While Potty-Training My Daughter by Kristin McKeown

Miss Behaving No More by Lauren Fall

How I Charmed My Boyfriend into Donating Blood by Maral Safavi

Alex Saves Me from Cigarettes by Anonymous

Sample Article 2014:

The Cat Sweater by Andrea Chandler-Hudson

Katie Becker’s Story

During spring 2001, Katie Becker enrolled in my applied behavior analysis course. She came to the course with a strong interest in marine mammals and asked if she could satisfy the laboratory requirement by interning at the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Oceans of Fun. She also encouraged me to contact local dog trainers. From my positive experiences with Katie and the trainers, I came to create a dog training placement for satisfying the course’s laboratory requirement.

About six years after completing the course,  I e-mailed Katie and asked, “Did you come to work with marine animals and fulfill your dream?”

She responded: “I sure did. I have worked with California sea lions, beluga whales and bottlenose dolphins. I have now seen each of them born with our new addition at the Vancouver Aquarium. Check out our baby beluga on the webcam. I work with the belugas and sea otters everyday including the baby beluga. I love it. There’s plenty of hard work and long hours but I love my job!!! Tell the kids to live their dreams!” Katie sent pictures too!

 

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