Premium
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSES AND TREATMENT OF PRECURSOR BEHAVIOR
Author(s) -
Najdowski Adel C.,
Wallace Michele D.,
Ellsworth Carrie L.,
MacAleese Alicia N.,
Cleveland Jackie M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1901/jaba.2008.41-97
Subject(s) - functional analysis , psychology , applied behavior analysis , functional equivalence , self destructive behavior , functional connectivity , behavioral analysis , reinforcement , neuroscience , developmental psychology , poison control , medicine , chemistry , social psychology , autism , injury prevention , biochemistry , linguistics , philosophy , environmental health , gene
Functional analysis has been demonstrated to be an effective method to identify environmental variables that maintain problem behavior. However, there are cases when conducting functional analyses of severe problem behavior may be contraindicated. The current study applied functional analysis procedures to a class of behavior that preceded severe problem behavior (precursor behavior) and evaluated treatments based on the outcomes of the functional analyses of precursor behavior. Responding for all participants was differentiated during the functional analyses, and individualized treatments eliminated precursor behavior. These results suggest that functional analysis of precursor behavior may offer an alternative, indirect method to assess the operant function of severe problem behavior.