Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS) 1 Practice Exam

Antecedents are events or conditions that occur before a behavior and set the stage for whether that behavior will happen. Time cues (when something will occur), setting cues (where it happens), and task demands (what the person is asked to do) all act as antecedents by signaling what is expected next and shaping the likelihood of the behavior occurring. By adjusting these antecedents—changing the timing, the environment, or the task—you can influence whether the behavior will be emitted. After the behavior, consequences occur and help determine future occurrences, but the term that describes what comes before and influences the behavior is antecedents. Internal states like arousal can function as antecedents as well, but the most precise fit for what precedes the behavior in this context is antecedents.