When we hear the term "behavior", we envision it as falling under one umbrella, but really we have 2 types of behavior that govern the way we act, think and our actions.
Behavior #1: RESPONDENT
Respondent behavior is involuntary, or reflexive- check out our post here about reflexive behavior! This means that the response was never taught, we just do it because we are human. It is also known as phylogenetic, due to behavior being inherited genetically. Examples of respondent behaviors include gagging, coughing, blinking, pain and more.
Behavior #2: OPERANT
Operant behaviors are those that are determined by the association of consequences. This means its been "taught" and either reinforced or punished mainiting this behavior.
Why do we care about the 2 types of behavior? It helps us create a deeper understanding for identifying functions and responses. For example, if a client has a response of gagging every time broccoli is brought out your supervisor will need to look closely at the behavior to identify if it is a respondent or operant response.
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