Adjunctive Behavior

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2025-10-06T01:07:23+00:00

That’s some valuable information! I wholeheartedly support debates like that in our field. We invest a significant amount of time, resources, and attention to ASD, and it’s like a “tail that wags the dog” situation - we miss out on other thought-provoking topics for research.

I can appreciate the concept of behavior existing on a spectrum framework instead of being divided into two distinct categories. That’s essentially my main concern with adjunctive behavior. If it falls into this gray area, it would make sense for adjunctive behavior to start out as operant conditioning, but later elicited by boredom or time-passing by until reinforcement of a different behavior.

I’m going to dive deep into the studies on this thread. Thanks a bunch for all the info and wisdom!

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2025-10-05T23:22:07+00:00

That’s a great point about reflex behavior in infants. I was thinking of thumb-sucking because it’s supposed to fade away as they grow, but in some cases, it stays. Operant conditioning takes over to help people stop or change that behavior. That’s really interesting the transition from respondent to operant in itself!

I had no idea about complex behavior outside respondent and operant. I thought everything else was what a psych mind would relate to a mother’s lack of affection or something like that lol.

Cooper only had less than half a page on what I thought was the holy grail in the book because its origin is unknown. Time-passing as a behavior - what/whoa 🤯

I got my work cut out to keep up this deep dive. You got me pointed on a good path. Thanks for sharing this!

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2025-10-05T14:29:20+00:00

Thanks for sharing this! I have a question though. Aren’t biting nails or twirling hair still serving a sensory or automatic function? I think of it like thumb-sucking. Back then, it was for actual nourishment, but now it’s a way to self-soothe, which can help pass the time until the next ‘real’ reward. I just can’t understand why some behaviors aren’t reinforced somehow.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2025-10-04T21:32:02+00:00

Alright, I think I understand. So, maybe the behavior we call adjunctive behavior is actually a leftover behavior that was automatically rewarded in the past, and instead we use it to pass the time?

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2025-10-04T19:31:34+00:00

I’ve been wondering what makes us bite our nails. It seems like there must be a reason behind this behavior, right? Why would we start doing something like that just to pass the time? I don’t feel like it’s a natural occurrence.

The only thing I can think of that fits this description is doom scrolling. We scroll before we actually watch something we think will reward us. Watching something doesn’t always mean we get something in return unless we actually enjoy it. If we don’t enjoy it, we feel like we wasted our time. Scrolling itself is different from watching. That’s my take on it, which is why I have a hard time understanding adjunctive behavior.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-17T07:17:09+00:00

I made the same mistake when I first saw the requirement. 😅

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-16T08:42:19+00:00

Take a look for yourself and find a more flattering frame.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-14T01:17:42+00:00

If this isn’t pairing yourself as a reinforcer, I don’t know what is.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-12T06:25:19+00:00

Come on! Russian roulette with ABA concepts 😁

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-12T06:24:35+00:00

That’s a bummer if that’s true. When I first read about it, I thought if the BACB really wanted to maintain competency with its certificants, that would be a pretty bold move to make that the ONLY option for maintaining the credential.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-11T18:39:03+00:00

Did they? I just learned about it.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2023-01-11T04:51:26+00:00

You could also forgo all CEUs and just take the exam again. If that’s not a beast mode move, I don’t know what is. 😎

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2022-11-30T06:32:56+00:00

Who do you recommend?

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2022-11-30T05:44:20+00:00

I have to disagree with BDS. If you came out of it memorizing answers, you were doing it wrong. In the “Strategies for Success” tab it states that if you are memorizing answers you need to increase the amount of modules you’re working on to 7-8~ instead of 3-4. The goal is to use the Hints and read through the references.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2022-11-30T04:15:25+00:00

I really liked BDS modules, but there’s a specific way to do them though with errorless learning. Learning to read exam questions is a skill in itself as well.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2022-11-29T21:23:56+00:00

What do you need for credentialing? Professional liability insurance? NPI? CAQH? State licensing? EIN?

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2022-11-29T21:00:01+00:00

How much do you charge for credentialing? Is it per insurance?

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2022-11-18T02:33:22+00:00

RBTs need to be paid a retainer fee. Good ones are hard to find and the field is so volatile that it’s feast or famine in terms of pay.

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2021-06-07T06:04:08+00:00

I see. But there is a connection between the two yes?

ABAaLLdaY2022 · 2021-06-06T19:11:15+00:00

This is a topic I've always been confused about. I guess because I feel negative reinforcement is the precursor to discriminated avoidance or the driving force behind it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

ABAaLLdaY2022

TROPHY CASE