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A PROCEDURE FOR IDENTIFYING PRECURSORS TO PROBLEM BEHAVIOR
Author(s) -
Herscovitch Brandon,
Roscoe Eileen M.,
Libby Myrna E.,
Bourret Jason C.,
Ahearn William H.
Publication year - 2009
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.2009.42-697
Subject(s) - functional analysis , psychology , descriptive statistics , function (biology) , behavioral analysis , developmental psychology , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , biology , biochemistry , evolutionary biology , gene
We describe a procedure for differentiating among potential precursor responses for use in a functional analysis. Conditional probability analysis of descriptive assessment data identified three potential precursors. Results from the indirect assessment corresponded with those obtained from the descriptive assessment. The top‐ranked response identified as a precursor according to the indirect assessment had the strongest relation according to the probability analysis. When contingencies were arranged for the precursor in a functional analysis, the same function was identified as for target behavior, supporting the utility of indirect and descriptive methods to identify precursor behavior empirically.