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A Preliminary Investigation of Using Contingency Space Analyses During Repeated Psychotropic Medication Regimen
Maria G Valdovinos1, Carissa Johnson1, Claire Epperson1
1Drake University, Des Moines, IA.
American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Psychotropic medication use in neurodevelopmental disorders can alter challenging behaviors. Analyzing behavioral data reveals how medication interacts with environmental factors, influenced by the behavior's base rate.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- Psychotropic medications are frequently prescribed for challenging behaviors in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- The precise impact of these medications on the interplay between behavior and environmental triggers remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how psychotropic medication regimens influence the relationship between challenging behaviors and their environmental antecedents and consequences.
- To explore the role of behavior's base rate in mediating these medication effects.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive assessment data were collected over several months for three participants.
- Contingency space analysis was employed, utilizing weekly 1-hour direct observations coded for behavior and consequences.
- Data were grouped and analyzed based on the participants' prescribed psychotropic medication regimens.
Main Results:
- Fluctuations in operant contingency values were observed across different psychotropic medication regimens for all participants.
- The base rate of challenging behavior was identified as a critical factor in detecting changes related to medication.
- Environmental variables appeared to interact differently with challenging behavior depending on the medication status and behavior's base rate.
Conclusions:
- Direct observation data analysis can offer insights into the complex interactions between environmental variables and challenging behavior during psychotropic medication use.
- The base rate of behavior is a significant moderator in understanding how psychotropic medications affect behavior-environment interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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