Scenario One:

• Subjective term: disruptive behavior
• Operational definition: Shayla is talking out of turn, making loud noises, and getting out of her seat without permission.
• Antecedents: The teacher is going over the assignment of the day.
• Consequences: The teacher calls Shayla’s name and asks her to stop the disruptive behavior. Shayla starts to complete her math assignment.

Scenario Two:

• Subjective term: unprofessionally
• Operational definition: Tom is talking loudly and making inappropriate jokes.
• Antecedents: Tom is at a work conference and sees an old college friend.
• Consequences: Tom’s friend laughs at his behavior, but Tom misses the takeaways from the breakout group.

Scenario Three:

• Subjective term: tantrum
• Operational definition: Enzo is crying, screaming, and throwing himself on the ground.
• Antecedents: Enzo sees his sippy cup.
• Consequences: Enzo’s caregiver approaches him and asks him what is wrong.

Differences between a response class and a stimulus class:

• A response class is a group of behaviors that are similar in form or function. For example, a response class of “aggression” might include behaviors such as biting, hitting, and kicking.
• A stimulus class is a group of stimuli that are similar in form or function. For example, a stimulus class of “food” might include stimuli such as apples, bananas, and carrots.

Similarities between a response class and a stimulus class:

• Both response classes and stimulus classes can be defined in terms of their observable features. For example, the response class of “aggression” can be defined in terms of behaviors that involve physical contact with another person with the intent to cause harm. The stimulus class of “food” can be defined in terms of stimuli that are ingested and provide nourishment.
• Both response classes and stimulus classes can be generalized to new situations. For example, a child who has learned to bite in one situation may be more likely to bite in other situations. A child who has learned to eat apples may be more likely to eat other fruits.

Example of a stimulus class and response class from everyday life:

• Stimulus class: “predators”
• Response class: “fear”

Predators are animals that hunt and eat other animals. Examples of predators include lions, tigers, and sharks. The response class of “fear” includes behaviors such as running away, hiding, and freezing.

When a person sees a predator, they may experience a fear response. This is because the person has learned that predators are dangerous. The fear response motivates the person to take action to protect themselves from the predator.

Conclusion:

Clear and operationally defined behaviors are important for the field of behavior analysis because they allow researchers to replicate findings and to determine the accuracy of data. This replication and accuracy are key in providing the field with credible research. After developing observable and measurable behavior definitions, we can take a deeper look at the environmental variables that influence those behaviors and categorize those behaviors in a meaningful way.

Response classes and stimulus classes are two important concepts in behavior analysis. A response class is a group of behaviors that are similar in form or function. A stimulus class is a group of stimuli that are similar in form or function. Both response classes and stimulus classes can be defined in terms of their observable features and can be generalized to new situations.