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Correction: Ferris et al. (2025) Chaining Differential Reinforcement of Compliance and Functional Communication Training to Treat Challenging Behavior Maintained by Negative Reinforcement. <i>Behavioral Sciences</i>, <i>15</i>(7), 891.

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Validating social reinforcer classes for low-severity challenging behavior identified by sensitivity tests.

Isaac J Melanson1, Tara A Fahmie2, Emily L Ferris3

  • 1Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|December 12, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Sensitivity tests show high agreement with functional analyses for challenging behaviors in autistic learners. This supports a preventive approach, but correspondence was lower for appropriate requests.

Keywords:
assessmentcorrespondencefunctional analysispreventionsensitivity tests

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Area of Science:

  • Behavior analysis
  • Developmental psychology
  • Applied behavior analysis

Background:

  • Traditional behavior analysis often uses reactive strategies for severe challenging behaviors.
  • These reactive methods are resource-intensive and costly.
  • Preventive approaches, starting with sensitivity tests, are emerging as a cost-effective alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish the correspondence between sensitivity tests and functional analyses for low-severity behaviors.
  • To determine if sensitivity tests can reliably predict functional analysis outcomes.
  • To assess the utility of sensitivity tests in screening behaviors of young autistic learners.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted sensitivity tests to screen low-severity behaviors in 10 young autistic learners.
  • Compared social reinforcer classes from sensitivity tests with those from traditional functional analyses.
  • Focused on behaviors evoked by common establishing operations.

Main Results:

  • High correspondence was found between sensitivity test outcomes and functional analysis outcomes for challenging behaviors.
  • Lower correspondence was observed between the two assessment methods for appropriate requests.
  • Sensitivity tests appear to be a valid screening tool for challenging behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Sensitivity tests demonstrate significant correspondence with functional analyses for challenging behaviors.
  • This supports the use of sensitivity tests as a preliminary step in preventive behavior analysis.
  • Further research is needed to refine sensitivity tests for appropriate requesting behaviors.