Antecedents - What Are They and How Do They Affect Behavior?

Antecedents play an essential role in understanding operant actions and controlling respondent behavior. They help in analyzing how events, situations, or circumstances determine the behavior of a student. The information determines where a specific act was reinforced and punishment was administered. It helps in predicting the situations and environment where the particular behavior will occur, considering that it happens more in reinforcement situations that in punishment. When the respondent's behavior is understood, various activities can be done to ensure maximum control. The educator is aware of the cues they will present to the environment to promote the desired behavior, where less punishment will be applied. The situation is then arranged in a way that it supports the desired behavior the learner should gain. Where possible, physical effort should be decreased for the student to engage in the desired behavior (Shayne & Miltenberger, 2013). The antecedents help in understanding when a problem is likely to happen, where it will take place, individuals present, and activities that precede the occurrence, thus analyzing possible behaviors and control measures.      

Respondent and operant behaviors can happen together in the case of a student’s fear of public speaking. Operant behavior is usually controlled by their consequences, while antecedent stimuli evoke respondent responses. Therefore, operant and respondent behavior can take place together at the same stimuli. In public speaking, automatic arousal may occur, and the response will be fear, seen with increased heart rate and perspiration. These actions are for a respondent. In response, the student is likely to run away from the audience. These actions describe the operant response. It is associated with negative reinforcement, where the actions lead to the removal of an aversive stimulus, where the probability of the student running away from a crowd in the future is high.    

Reference  

Shayne, R., & Miltenberger, R. G. (2013). Evaluation of behavioral skills training for teaching functional assessment and treatment selection skills to parents.  Behavioral Interventions ,  28 (1), 4-21.