What are responses called that often occur just prior to the target behavior?

Responses that often occur just prior to the target behavior are referred to as precursors. Precursors are specific actions or events that typically precede and signal an upcoming behavior. Understanding precursors is important in behavior analysis, as they can provide insight into the circumstances that lead to the target behavior and allow for better intervention strategies. By identifying these precursors, practitioners can potentially intervene before the target behavior occurs, thus preventing unwanted actions or facilitating positive behaviors.

In this context, the other choices do not accurately describe this phenomenon. Triggers refer more broadly to events that provoke behavior but may not be as closely linked as precursors. Antecedents are a general category of events or stimuli that occur before a behavior, but they encompass a wider range than just the immediate responses that precede a specific target behavior. Prompts are cues or hints provided to elicit or facilitate a behavior but do not coincide with the concept of a pre-behavior response.