Behavior Modification Reading Quiz 13 (Ch. 13)

What are some questions an interviewer might ask to generate information about the consequences of a child's problem behavior?

- What happens after the problem behavior occurs? - What do you do when the problem behavior occurs? - What do other people do when the problem behavior occurs? - What changes after the problem behavior occurs? - What does the child get after the problem behavior? - What does the child get out of or avoid after the problem behavior?

What are some questions an interviewer might ask to generate information about the antecedents of a child's problem behavior?

- When does the problem behavior usually occur? Where does the problem behavior usually occur? - Who is present when the problem behavior occurs? - What activities or events precede the occurrence of the problem behavior? - What do other people say or do immediately before the problem behavior occurs? - Does the child engage in any other behaviors before the problem behavior? - When, where, with whom, and in what circumstances is the problem behavior least likely to occur?

What three ways can an ABC observation be conducted?

1. Descriptive method - observer writes brief description of the behavior and of each antecedent and consequence event each time behavior occurs; open-ended and results in descriptions of all events that were contiguous to the behavior; because it is open-ended and describes all antecedent/consequences observed, can be conducted before indirect methods are used and before any hypotheses are developed about the function of the behavior 2. Checklist method - observer records the particular problem behavior each time it occurs, together with antecedents and consequences, by putting a check mark in each of the relevant columns; typically developed after problem behaviors and potential antecedents and consequences are identified in interview (or other indirect assessment method) or through observation 3. Interval recording (real-time) method - identify and define specific events that may serve as antecedents or consequences and record these events, as well as the behavior, with interval or real-time recording; you identify the specific events to record from an interview or other indirect assessment methods or through direct observation

What are the types of function analysis?

1. Exploratory: number of possible reinforcers are evaluated in the functional analysis (e.g., attention, escape, tangible) along with a control condition in which no EOs or reinforcers for problem behavior are present 2. Hypothesis testing: one test condition and one control condition are used to test the hypothesis that a particular reinforcing consequence is maintaining the problem behavior

What are the three categories of functional assessment methods?

1. Indirect methods - information gathered through interviews and questionnaires 2. Direct observation methods - observer records the antecedents, behavior, and consequences as they occur 3. Experimental methods (functional analysis) - antecedents and consequences are manipulated to observe their effect on problem behavior

There are four broad classes of reinforcing consequences or functions of problem behaviors

1. Social positive reinforcement 2. Social negative reinforcement 3. Automatic positive reinforcement 4. Automatic negative reinforcement

How do you conduct a functional assessment?

1. Start with behavioral interview 2. Develop hypothesis about ABCs of problem behavior 3. Conduct direct observation assessment 4. Confirm initial hypothesis about ABCs of problem behavior 5. Conduct further assessments if needed 6. Conduct functional analysis if needed

... occurs when target behavior automatically reduces or eliminates an aversive stimulus as a consequence of the behavior and the behavior os strengthened (e.g., closing window to block a cold draft, binge eating to escape unpleasant emotions)

Automatic negative reinforcement

When the behavior produces a positively reinforcing consequence automatically, and the behavior is strengthened, the behavior is said to be maintained by ... (e.g., going to kitchen and getting a drink, spinning objects for sensory stimulation)

Automatic positive reinforcement

Together, indirect and direct functional assessment methods are categorized as ... because the antecedents and consequences are described, either from memory or from direct observation of the events. Descriptive functional assessments allow you to develop hypotheses about the antecedent and consequent variables controlling the problem behavior, but do NOT prove that variables are functionally related to the behavior; to demonstrate a functional relationship, the antecedents or consequences must be manipulated to show their influence on the problem behavior

Descriptive assessments

A ... typically includes 3 or 4 test conditions and a control condition. In each test condition you present an EO and a possible reinforcer for the problem behavior, in a control condition you present an AO and withhold the possible reinforcers for the problem behavior (e.g., conduct 4 different test conditions evaluating whether attention, tangible reinforcers, escape, or sensory stimulation was reinforcing consequence for problem behavior); exploratory functional analyses evaluate range of possible reinforcing consequences designed to identify particular function of problem behavior while ruling out other functions.

Exploratory function analysis

Experimental methods of conducting a functional assessment manipulate antecedent and consequent variables to demonstrate their influence on the problem behavior. This approach is typically called a ...; It experimentally demonstrates a functional relationship between antecedents and consequences and problem behavior. In functional analysis, you follow the problem behavior with potential reinforcers to see which consequences increases (strengthen) the behavior, and/or present different antecedent events (possible EOs) to see which ones evoke the behavior

Functional analysis

When using behavior modification procedures to help a person increase a desirable behavior or decrease/eliminate an undesirable (problem) behavior, first step is to understand why person engages in the behavior. To do so, must conduct an assessment of the three-term contingency to determine the antecedent events that evoke the behavior and reinforcing consequences that maintain it. The process of identifying these variables before treating a problem behavior is called...

Functional assessment

Interventions should be designed to alter the antecedents and consequences of the problem behavior to decrease the problem behavior and increase desirable alternative behaviors. These ... include extinctions, differential reinforcement, and antecedent manipulation. These interventions are considered functional because they address the antecedents and consequences identified in the functional assessment (they address function of the behavior).

Functional interventions

In ..., there is one test condition and one control condition. Test condition presents hypothesized EO, and when problem behavior occurs, present hypothesized reinforcer. Control condition presents hypothesized AO, and if problem behavior occurs, does not provide hypothesized reinforcer

Hypothesis-testing functional analysis

Touchette and his colleagues described a method, called a ..., to assess the time of day that the problem occurs most. To create a scatter plot, someone in the client's natural environment records once each half hour whether the problem behavior occurred during the preceding half hour. Scatter plot recording is an interval recording method, but is NOT an ABC observation method because antecedents and consequences are not recorded. After recording on the scatter plot for several days, you may be able to see the time that the behavior occurs most. If so, you can conduct ABC observations at those times. If not, then ABC observations would need to be scheduled for longer periods or more time periods in attempt to observe the behavior.

Scatter plot

When another person terminated an aversive interaction, task, or activity after the occurrence of a target behavior, and as a result, the behavior is more likely to occur, the behavior is said to be maintained by ... (e.g., complaining about a chore, banging head when asked to do an assignment, asking friends not to smoke)

Social negative reinforcement

When a positively reinforcing consequence is delivered by another person after the target behavior, and as a result the behavior is more likely to occur, it is called ... (e.g., attention, access to activities, or tangibles from another person)

Social positive reinforcment

What are examples of functional analysis research?

Substantial use of functional analysis to identify variables controlling problem behaviors in children and people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and self-injurious behaviors

Conducting a functional assessment is always first step in using behavior modification procedures to decrease problem behaviors (e.g., evaluating Jacob and his throwing/banging head/whining behavior or Anna and her hitting/kicking/screaming behaviors)

True

Direct observation method (aka ABC observation) has a goal to record the immediate antecedents and consequences typically associated with the problem behavior under normal conditions (and each time problem behavior occurs). Main advantage is that the observer (can be client or other person) records antecedents and consequences as they occur rather than reporting from memory (leads to more accurate information). Main disadvantage is that it takes more time and effort than interviews or questionnaires. Additionally, they do not demonstrate a functional relationship, but rather a correlation of the antecedents and consequences with the problem behavior.

True

Functional assessment is the process of gathering information about the antecedents and consequences that are functionally related to the occurrence of a problem behavior

True

Once the interviewer can discern a reliable pattern of antecedents and consequences, the interviewers can develop a hypothesis about the antecedents that have stimulus control over the problem behavior and the reinforcer that maintains it (page 251 - in indirect functional assessment method section)

True

The development of a hypothesis about the antecedents and consequences is the desired outcome of conducting ABC observations; To conduct ABC observations, the observer should be present in the client's natural environment when the problem behavior is most likely to occur

True

The functional analysis provides standard of scientific evidence that particular type of antecedent evokes the behavior and particular type of reinforcing consequence maintains the behavior. Advantage is that it demonstrates functional relationship between controlling variables and problem behavior. Disadvantage is that is takes time, effort, and expertise to manipulate antecedents and consequences and measure resulting change in the behavior

True

With indirect functional assessment methods (aka informant assessment methods), behavioral interviews or questionnaires are used to gather information from the person exhibiting the problem behavior (client) or someone the client knows well (family member, teacher, staff). The advantage of this method is that they are easy to do and don't take much time (which is why they are used commonly among psychologists). The disadvantage is that the informants must rely on their memory of the events, thus, the information from interviews and questionnaires may be incorrect as a result of forgetting or bias

True

What is the difference between a functional assessment versus a functional analysis?

• Functional assessment refers to the process of gathering information on antecedents and consequences of behavior to identify which antecedents and consequences influence the behavior. There are three methods for conducting a functional assessment. Functional assessment is also called functional behavioral assessment. • Functional analysis is one of the three functional assessment methods. It specifically involves manipulating antecedents and consequences to demonstrate a functional relationship between the antecedents and consequences and the behavior

What are the categories of information from a functional assessment?

• problem behaviors: objective description of behaviors that make up the problem • antecedents: objective description of environmental events preceding the problem behavior, including aspects of the physical environment and the behavior of other people • consequences: objective deselection in of environments events that follow problem behavior, including aspects of physical environment and behavior of other people • alternate behaviors: information on desirable behavior in person's repertoire that may be reinforced to compete with the problem behavior • motivational variables: information on environmental events that may function as establishing or abolishing operations to influence effectiveness of reinforcers and punishers for problem and alternate behaviors • potential reinforcers: information on environmental events - including physical stimuli and the behavior of other people - that may function as reinforcers and used in treatment program • previous interventions: information on the interventions that have been used in the past and their effects on the problem behavior