Antecedents, behaviors, and consequences

Applied behavior analysis dissects a behavioral event into three elements  

In a nutshell, applied behavior analysis posits the following principles  

In addition to discovering that consequences are stronger than antecedents, behavioral science research has found that in the competition of consequences to control behavior, some consequences are stronger than others. Three qualities determine the potency of consequences  

Accordingly, soon, certain, and positive consequences have the greatest potency, or power to influence behavior. 

6 For a more detailed description, see Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change by Beth Sulzer-Azaroff 

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How does one implement a worker-focused behavior-based safety initiative A condensation cannot be given here of the methodologies presented in the many books available on applying worker-focused behavior-based safety methods that seek to achieve improvements through focusing on antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. As an example of those methods, the following is taken from The Behavior-Based Safety Process, 2nd edition by Thomas R., Krause. Chapter 6 is titled Introducing the Behavior-Based Safety Process to a Site. ... 

ABC Analysis A root cause analysis tool for understanding why a person uses a specific behavior. ABC stands for Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence. 

Figure 21.2. Relationship between antecedents, behavior, and consequences (preliminary...

Behaviors can be somewhat forecast by using the ABC model that stands for Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequences (what happens when the behavior occurs). An antecedent is something that comes before a behavior, and may trigger that behavior. A behavior is anything an individual does. A consequence is something that follows the behavior (ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) Model, Fact Sheet, n.d.). 

Meyer, J. P., Stanley, D. J., Herscovitch, L., and Topolnytsky, L. (2002), "Affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization A meta-analysis of antecedents, correlates, and consequences," Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61 (1), 20-52. 

Our basic premise is that behavior is a function of the immediate environment. Once we have pinpointed a specific behavior, we can then divide environmental events into two sets of categories events that precede the behavior and events that follow the behavior. Behavioral psychologists use the terms antecedents for events that occur before the behavior and consequences for those that follow behavior. Figure 21.2 shows a diagram representing these events. Antecedents are events that precede behavior and prompt or cue the occurrence of that behavior. Consequences are events that follow behavior and that influence the likelihood that the behavior will occur again under those antecedent conditions in the future. Consequences either strengthen or weaken behavior. 

Organ, D. W., Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B. (2006). Organizational citizenship behavior Its nature. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Antecedents and Consequences. 

Direct behavior with activators or events antecedent to behavior, and motivate behavior with consequences or events that foUow behavior. 

Reynolds, in Back to the Future The Importance of Learning the ABCs of Behavioral Safety, discusses the need to first analyze the management controlled antecedents and consequences that actually drive those employee behaviors (p. 24). Many of the concerns expressed by highly capable safety professionals over the worker-focused behavior-based safety approach center on the fact that causal factors deriving from the work environment and work practices are ignored. Most behavior-safety practitioners do not recognize the need to examine the reasons—the antecedents, if you like — for the existence of hazards and risks. 

The antecedents and consequences of the thermo-fluid system shown in Fig. 7.1 can be derived from the bond graph model given in Fig. 7.2. The antecedents and consequences list is given in Table 7.1. It is assumed that the antecedents and consequences considered in the thermal domain pertain to steady-state behavior. 

One of the major problems associated with qualitative reasoning has been the assumptions and inferences used while constracting the table of antecedents and consequences. At times, there is a feel that the whole exercise is intuitive rather than being based on solid mathematical logic. A more elegant approach to postulate steady-state behavior is to directly consider the rate equations. One such approach is given in the next section. 

By this approach, I study organizational behavior as determined by a hitherto ne ected variable, employees lead userness. 1 use constructs well established in the innovation, organizational behavior, and marketing literatures and combine them to build new theory. In the next two sections, I provide a detailed deduction of my research hypotheses on the antecedents and consequences of embedded lead userness. 

Marrone, J. A., Tesluk P- E., and Carson, J. 8. (2007), "A multilevel investigation of antecedents and consequences of team member boundary-spanning behavior," Academy of Management Journal, 50 (6), 1423-39. 

In his third study, Tim Schweisfurth studies antecedents and behavioral outcomes of employees lead userness in mountaineering firms. With respect to the antecedents of lead userness, he finds that use expertise, technical expertise, and product involvement have a positive influence on the lead userness of employees. Three of llie hypotheses regarding the consequences can be supported The higher the lead userness of employees, the higher their innovative work behavior, their internal boundary spanning behavior, and their customer orientation behavior. 

Acar, A. (2008). Antecedents and consequences of online social networking behavior The case of Facebook. Journal of Website Promotion, 3(1/2), 62-83. 

Fernandez-Muniz, B., Montes-Peon, J.M. Vazquez-Ordas, C.J. 2012. Safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified organisations Antecedents and consequences of safety behavior. Accident Analysis and Prevention 45 745-758. 

But why is the behavior occurring in the first place The behavior occurs because of a history of experience with these antecedents and consequences. Sometime in the past, we learned about light switches and telephones. We will add individual learning history to our diagram after we further discuss consequences and antecedents. 

Behavior-based safety trainers and consultants teach the ABC model (or three-term contingency) as a fi amework to understand and anatyze behavior or to develop interventions for improving behavior. As given in Principle 3, the A stands for activators or antecedent events that precede behavior B, and C refers to the consequences following behavior and produced by it. Activators direct behavior consequences motivate behavior. 

DePasquale, J. P. and Geller, E. S., Intervening to improve driving instruction should behavioral feedback be an antecedent or a consequence , under editorial review, 2001. 

Vision and credibility form the foundation upon which the other leadership virtues are built. Both are primarily antecedent in behavior analysis terms they trigger others to act. Action orientation, collaboration, and communication are also largely antecedent. The last two practices entail providing consequences. These practices follow the behaviors that are required for building a strong culture and reinforce them. (We will have more to say about behavior analysis and the importance of antecedents and consequences in the next chapter.)... 

Both antecedents and consequences influence behavior, but they do so differently. 

The above applied behavior analysis concepts are integrated and put to use in a tool called ABC analysis (ABC stands for antecedent-behavior-consequence), which helps reveal the causes of a behavior and influence its acquisition. Leaders use this tool to acquire best practice skills. ABC analysis has three steps ... 

Analyze the undesired behavior. Identify the target behavior you wish to understand or influence, and state it in the negative—the undesirable or problematic form of the behavior. For instance, if the behavior in question is action orientation, the undesired form would be a failure to act proactively. List the antecedents and consequences for the behavior, and list the potency of each consequence. This analysis gives you insight into why the problematic form of the behavior occurs and provides the data you need to develop a change strategy. 

Analyze the desired behavior. State the target behavior in its desirable, nonproblematic form. List its antecedents and consequences, plus the consequence potencies. 

Create an action plan. Write down the steps you will take to ensure that you have the right antecedents and consequences to acquire the desired behavior. 

Although the chart displays the ABC columns chronologically— antecedents, behavior, consequences— you fill in column B first. You describe the undesired version of the behavior and then fill in columns A and C. Do this analysis from your own perspective the antecedents and consequences should be what really trigger and reinforce your enacting the imdesired version of the behavior. 

Write down the desired version of the behavior. Then identify its antecedents and consequences. Your analysis might resemble Table 6-2. Again, this leader started with column B and then filled in the remaining columns. 

Use the information you generated in step 2 to develop an action plan. The plan should provide both antecedents and consequences that will help you acquire the desired version of the behavior and deal with potentially problematic antecedents and consequences (Table 6-3). 

The behavioral approach is a process that provides organizations the opportunity to move to a level higher of safety excellence. An understanding of how antecedents and consequences are designed along with statistically... 

One of the best way to describe behaviors is by using the ABC model (antecedents (activators), behaviors (at-risk events), and consequences (of exposure)). While this model has been around for many years, it is not always fully understood or used properly in assessing the workplace. 

Cole, D. A., and Milstead, M. (1989). Behavioral correlates of depression Antecedents or consequences Journal of Counseling Psychology, 36, 408-416. 

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