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Relative contributions of three descriptive methods: implications for behavioral assessment.
Sacha T Pence1, Eileen M Roscoe, Jason C Bourret
1New England Center for Children and Northeastern University, USA.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|December 2, 2009
Summary
Descriptive analysis methods, including the ABC method, are generally poor at identifying the causes of problem behavior in individuals with developmental delays. Results often differ significantly from functional analysis findings.
Area of Science:
- Behavior Analysis
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Problem behavior in individuals with developmental delays requires accurate assessment to determine effective interventions.
- Descriptive analyses are commonly used to understand behavior, but their efficacy compared to functional analyses is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods (ABC, conditional probability, conditional and background probability) with functional analyses.
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of descriptive analysis methods in identifying behavior-maintaining consequences.
Main Methods:
- Employed functional analyses to determine reinforcement conditions for problem behavior.
- Utilized three descriptive analysis methods (ABC, conditional probability, conditional and background probability) for comparison.
- Included six participants diagnosed with developmental delays exhibiting problem behavior.
Main Results:
- Descriptive analysis outcomes were consistent across methods for most participants.
- Descriptive analysis findings substantially differed from functional analysis outcomes for most participants.
- Functional analyses identified social positive reinforcement, social negative reinforcement, and automatic reinforcement as maintaining factors.
Conclusions:
- Descriptive analysis methods are not a reliable substitute for functional analyses in determining functional relations.
- The findings suggest that descriptive analysis is an inadequate method for identifying the variables that maintain problem behavior.
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