A descriptive analysis of social consequences following problem behavior.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
• Developmental Disabilities Research

Background:

• Functional analyses assume social consequences for problem behavior are reinforcing.
• The naturalistic occurrence of these consequences is not well understood.
• Understanding reinforcement in real-world settings is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency of attention, escape, and tangible consequences for problem behavior in natural settings.
• To determine if social consequences align with those identified in functional analyses.
• To examine differences in consequences based on the type of problem behavior.

Main Methods:

• Observational study involving 27 adults in a state residential facility.
• Participants exhibited self-injurious behavior, aggression, or disruption.
• Trained observers recorded instances of problem behavior and subsequent caregiver-delivered consequences.

Main Results:

• Attention was the most frequent social consequence delivered for problem behavior.
• Aggression elicited social consequences more often than self-injurious behavior or disruption.
• Findings suggest a discrepancy between presumed and actual reinforcement in naturalistic settings.

Conclusions:

• Social consequences, particularly attention, are common following problem behavior in residential facilities.
• The type of problem behavior influences the likelihood of receiving social consequences.
• Results highlight the need to validate functional analysis assumptions with naturalistic observations.