A Clinical Tutorial on Using a Concurrent Operant Analysis in the Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior

Since its inception over four decades ago, numerous types and modifications to functional analysis (FA) have been published, likely in part to provide practitioners with a feasible, acceptable, safe, and ecologically valid assessment to inform the treatment of problem behavior. Even so, there are still cases in which an FA is not possible in a given setting or yields undifferentiated results, making conclusions from the FA difficult to interpret. Rather than relying on less rigorous and precise assessment methods (e.g., indirect reports) as part of the functional behavior assessment (FBA) process to inform treatment, a practitioner could employ a concurrent operant analysis (COA). A COA is an assessment that relies on direct observation and experimental manipulations that may be useful for supplementing the FBA process when an FA is not ideal or possible. Further, COAs may be beneficial in that they may avoid the potential drawbacks and criticisms (e.g., evoking problem behavior) that may be more likely associated with FAs than COAs. Despite the benefits of a COA, it has been slow to appear in research for the assessment and treatment of problem behavior. In this clinical tutorial, we provide a comprehensive, step-by-step description using hypothetical, illustrative examples, along with several resources to assist in developing, implementing, and analyzing a COA.