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Published on: October 19, 2014
Situation specificity in attention-seeking problem behavior. A case study
J C Taylor1, L A Sisson, J L McKelvey
1Devereux Foundation, Devon, PA 19333.
Behavior Modification
|October 1, 1993
Summary
Problem behavior is not always triggered by low adult attention. Specific situations, like an adult speaking to another adult, were more likely to evoke attention-seeking behavior in an adolescent. This finding informs targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Previous research on attention-seeking problem behavior often assumes general low adult attention triggers misbehavior.
- Detailed analyses examining specific low-attention contexts are lacking.
Observation:
- A case study investigated an adolescent's problem behavior across various low adult attention scenarios.
- Functional analyses systematically manipulated attention and task demands.
Findings:
- Low adult attention generally evoked problem behavior.
- Problem behavior specifically occurred when an adult attended to another adult, but not when attending to another child.
Implications:
- Context-specific functional analyses are crucial for understanding problem behavior.
- Interventions should be tailored to the precise environmental triggers of misbehavior.
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