What is the three-term contingency?

When you think of the three term contingency, and this is kind of Skinner is a gift to us, this idea that prior to that, we just thought that something in the environment, we reacted to it. So after numerous investigations, studies and demonstrations of change in the environment, he's like, wait a minute. Yeah, the antecedent, the thing that happens before a behavior is important, but really what maintains the behavior is as a consequence. And then the reason that and that consequence occurring also affects the importance and the evocative of a power of an antecedents. A lot of language there. So anyway, the point is, and so it's kind of an if then. And so we're looking at a behavior in the center. So most of us in schools, we talk about a, B and c, right to have our behavior and the things that occur prior to that behavior, immediately prior to that behavior. And then the things that occur after that behavior. We call this the things in close temporal contiguity right there or close together. They all had they all have an effect on that behavior. So if this behavior. If it's kind of an if then statement. So if this occurs, it's more likely that this behavior is going to happen. It's going to result in this. And so while we use a three term contingency, we often use it to assess and functional assessment. So I'm looking at an individual that engages in problem behavior. I'm saying, OK, this is a problem behavior and periods where when he's working by himself. OK, and then I also notice that. Wait a minute, Susan, engage in problem behavior. A teacher delivers that C that consequence. And then so when this happens, this happens. The teacher says, Michael, stop doing that for then notice. Wait a minute. Right there's a relation here, right? So there's an antecedent. I don't have any attention. We'll call this and establish an operation. If you remember the lecture, I engage in problem behavior that I immediately get it. And so over time, these elements of this three term contingency are each term they become a pattern. They become established. So my kids left alone. It's more likely than not, he's going to engage in problem behavior and more likely than not in that classroom, the teacher is going to say, Michael, stop doing that. And from that, we can draw a function. This is the purpose of the Behavior survey for the important instruction. Right, because we look very carefully at each component of instruction. So there are some sort of instructional stimulants like the mug here, CBA. So says read, I present this mugger's assessing the correct response would be like CBA and then I get some sort of feedback. Good job. And so but I also pay very closely to each component of instruction. So if I said, what word the child doesn't respond. I also know that. Wait a minute. Is it because he doesn't respond to this? You can't what we call label that or tack that or is not understand what I'm asking because now that has two parts. I asked read this versus touch this versus what is this period. And so I look at those variables very closely become better instructors. We're able to determine what errors that we make. So as with the University of Kentucky, we're not. That program is notorious for systematic instruction. Like a lot of the literature on Tom delay's system, which prompts all those were evaluated over and over again. There And there was a famous morialta dole, 1992 that kind of first broke down all those teach ins that was really based on that a, B and c, really understanding that what happens before a behavior, what happens after it has an effect on the likelihood of bad behavior occurring. And that's what we call that three term contingency.