Week 5 and Week 6

Op def

The process of creating an operational definition, which involves refining it during observation and ensuring it is tested.

Indirect assessments

Assessment methods such as rating scales and questionnaires, as well as interviews.

Types of observational recording

Event recording, duration recording, latency recording, and interval recording.

Event recording

Pros - easy to use; Cons - only suitable for low rate, low duration behaviors with clear start and end points.

Duration recording

Recording the length of time a behavior occurs.

When to use duration recording

For high rate, high duration behaviors.

Duration recording

Includes total duration (extent of time a behavior occurs during an observational period) and duration per occurrence (extent of time for each occurrence of behavior).

Latency recording

Collecting the elapsed time between the onset of a stimulus and the initiation of a behavior.

When to use latency recording

When the time it takes to emit a behavior is of interest, such as measuring speed of response.

Sample interval recording

Collecting estimates of the number of occurrences and durations of behavior during intervals.

Types of interval recording

Partial Interval Recording (PIR), Whole Interval Recording (WIR), and Momentary Time Sampling (MTS).

When to use PIR

Goal is behavior reduction.

When to use WIR

Goal is to increase behavior.

Pros and Cons of PIR

Pros - most commonly used; Cons - overestimates behavior, requires undivided attention of the observer.

Pros and Cons of WIR

Pros - unsure; Cons - overestimates behavior, requires undivided attention of the observer.

Pros and Cons of MTS

Pros - may be the most accurate, easy to use, does not require constant attention; Cons - error, not useful for low rate behavior.

Descriptive assessment

Scatter plots, line graphs, and descriptive analysis (ABC data).

Line graphs

Collecting the average number of behavior occurrences over a day.

Pros and Cons of line graphs

Pros - unsure; Cons - no information about the environment or what causes the behavior, missing important information.

Scatter plots

Provide information about when behavior occurs and events/antecedents associated with problem behavior, but do not give the rate of behavior.

Pros and Cons of scatter plots

Pros - give pattern of responding, identify stimulus control, note when problem behaviors occur, provide information about the environment, useful if resources are limited; Cons - do not provide the rate of behavior.

When are scatter plots good to use

When initial observation data is not clear.

Descriptive analysis

Systematic observation of behavior in a natural setting, recording antecedents, behavior, and consequences.

Pros and Cons of descriptive analysis

Pros - patterns can be discerned, sufficient for developing behavior intervention plans and function-based treatments without functional analyses; Cons - unsure.

Things to consider with descriptive analysis

Who should collect the data and when to collect it, considering familiarity with the student and accuracy of data.

When and where to observe

As many places as possible and as often as possible.

Function analysis

Used to treat the symptoms of behavior rather than the cause.

CARR 1997

The conceptual basis for functional analysis, identified the main reasons why people engage in problem behavior (positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, self-stimulation, organic, psychodynamic).

Iwata et al results

No single treatment is effective for everything, proposed assessing if behavior is maintained by positive, negative, or automatic reinforcement.

Importance of function

Function is more important than topography for assessment and treatment.

Functional analyses

Usually run in a multielement design.

Basic conditions of functional analysis

Attention (positive reinforcement), Tangible (positive reinforcement), Demand (negative reinforcement), Ignore/Alone (automatic reinforcement), Toy play/enriched environment (control condition).

Advantages of functional analyses

Most accurate way to identify the function of challenging behavior, over 95% accurate, interventions based on results have been shown to be effective.