4. Behavioral Assessment Flashcards
(56 cards)
hypothetically, self-injury may sometimes function to
a) *achieve homeostasis (sensory regulation)
b) release endogenous opiates (resulting in a natural high)
problem bxs serve what functions?
attention escape access to an activity or tangible item automatic reinforcement -but can serve multiple functions
- a high rate in the absence of structure is associated with an automatic reinforcement function
- a high rate during demand conditions is associated with an escape/avoidance function
when conducting a FA, the matching law can be helpful in analyzing
- variables that determine/influence the relative rates of members of a response class
- the variables controlling low frequency bx
- differential rates of various members of the response class
High frequency, low intensity bxs may
produce reinforcement less often (rate), in lesser amounts, and of lower quality (than its low frequency, high intensity counterparts)
identifying a function
is the same as identifying a behavior’s maintaining reinforcer
what is a function?
the stimulus change that is the reason why the individual engages in the bx
eg, getting attention, escaping tasks, and seeing the teacher get angry
-functions usually involve stimulus changes that are observable
-they sometimes involve private events that only the individual experiences (eg, a release of endorphins and sensory stimulation)
response class theory and research suggest
that interventions should address the entire response class
- treating all members of the response class decreases the likelihood of an increase in the bx that does not get treated
- if high- and low-frequency bxs are of the same response class, they are controlled by the same variables and should be similarly evaluated and treated
the value of the reinforcer (with respect to matching law) could refer to
quality
amount
rate
low frequency, high intensity bxs can be addressed
by treating high frequency, low intensity bxs of the same response class
if 2 bxs have the same consequence
the one that takes less effort is going to occur at a higher rate
the matching law maintains that an organism would use the
easiest method to obtain reinforcement
what are setting events?
antecedent stimulus events or contexts
- they include social, physical, and biological events that may exert general control over bx
- social: the presence of a disliked individual, crowding, classroom social structure, social activities, teasing, and teacher-student interactions
- biological: ear infections, UTI, constipation, allergies, and menstral discomfort
- physical: room temperature, transportation routines, lighting, humidity, odors, and noise
being familiar with relevant instructional variables
- is helpful so that one could manipulate these variables to determine their influence on bx
- could lead to a parsimonious (simple) yet effective intervention
- is helpful so that these could be consisdered when conducting a descriptive analysis
interventions based on a FA are
- more likely to be effective
- likely to focus on strengthening bxs that are functionally equivalent to the problem bx
- less likely to involve punishment
behavioral interview info is sometimes inaccurate because
information is overlooked
interveiwees do not fully understand the question
inaccurate info is reinforced or accurate info is punished
indirect assessment methods involve
acquiring info without directly observing the
-rating scales (motivation assessment scale MAS, motivation analysis rating scale, functional analysis screening tool FAST, questions about behavioral function (QABF), problem behavior questionnaire PBQ) and interviews
advantage of rating scales
simple to administer and quantifiable
-however, their reliability is in doubt and they do not yield a functional relation between assessmetn conditions and bx
behavioral interviews are used to
glean info about the topography of the bx (which enables development of an operational definition and subsequent data collection), times, activities, settings, and social factors that may influence bx
- used to determine potential SR+ and communication skills
- well suited to ID setting events (eg, meds, family issues)
what is a conditional probability?
a calculation of the probability that a particular bx will follow an antecedent or that a particular consequence will follow a bx
-a direct observation
as assumption of ABC data quantification is that
a correlational relationship suggests a functional relationship
a functional relationship requires
systematic manipulation of the environment and application of experimental methodology
-observation in vivo may yield correlations but not functional relations
what is lag sequential analysis
involves recording either occurrence or duration data on a variety of bxs and events which may influence bx
-direct observation
what is a conditional probability
between events and bx are caluclated thus revealing correlations that may indicate functions
antecedents…
a) do not necessarily control the target bx
b) are important to analyzing the function of a target bx
c) precede the target bx
