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Instructional influences on analogue functional analysis outcomes.
John Northup1, Tiffany Kodak, Laura Grow
1Louisiana State University, USA. john-northup@uiowa.edu
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 27, 2005
Summary
Instructions significantly impact behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Describing an escape from tasks as "taking a break" or "time-out" altered inappropriate behavior rates in a 5-year-old participant.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Functional analyses are crucial for understanding behavior in children.
- Verbal children may interpret instructions differently, influencing behavior.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can affect behavioral responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different verbal descriptions of a contingency affect behavior.
- To examine the impact of instructions like 'taking a break' versus 'time-out' on inappropriate behavior.
- To explore implications for functional analyses in verbal children with ADHD.
Main Methods:
- An analogue assessment was used with a single 5-year-old participant diagnosed with ADHD.
- A common escape-from-task contingency was employed across three conditions.
- Instructions varied: 'taking a break,' 'time-out,' or no description.
Main Results:
- Rates of inappropriate behavior differed significantly across the three instructional conditions.
- The way the contingency was described appeared to influence the participant's behavior.
- Behavioral responses were sensitive to the specific language used to frame the task escape.
Conclusions:
- Verbal instructions can substantially alter behavior during functional analyses.
- The framing of contingencies is a critical factor when assessing behavior in verbal children.
- Careful consideration of language is needed for effective functional assessments in children with ADHD.