Behavioral Assessment and Target Behavior Selection in Applied Behavior Analysis

Core Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is dedicated to achieving predictable and replicable improvements in behavior.
Focus on Socially Important Behaviors: ABA prioritizes behaviors that have immediate and lasting significance for the individual and their social network.
- Examples: Developing language, social skills, motor skills, and academic competencies.
- The goal is to increase behaviors that lead to reinforcers and decrease those that lead to punishers.
A crucial preliminary step in ABA is the judicious selection of target behaviors for measurement and change.

The Role of Assessment in ABA

Assessment is considered a foundational component—a "linchpin"—within a four-phase systematic intervention model (Taylor, 2006):
1. Assessment
2. Planning
3. Implementation
4. Evaluation

Definition and Purpose of Behavioral Assessment

Contrast with Traditional Assessments:
- Traditional psychological and educational assessments typically employ norm- and/or criterion-referenced standardized tests.
- These tests aim to identify strengths and weaknesses across cognitive, academic, social, and psychomotor domains.
Behavioral Assessment Methods: Utilizes a diverse array of methods:
- Direct observations
- Interviews
- Checklists
- Tests
Comprehensive Scope: Beyond merely identifying behaviors for change, a thorough behavioral assessment aims to uncover:
- Available resources and assets
- Significant individuals in the person's life
- Competing contingencies
- Factors influencing maintenance and generalization of behavior change
- Potential reinforcers and/or punishers that can inform intervention plans (Snell & Brown, 2006).
Core Purpose (Linehan, 1977): "To figure out what the client's problem is and how to change it for the better" (p. $31$ ).
- This implies that behavioral assessment goes beyond mere description or classification of abilities and deficiencies.
- It seeks to understand the function a behavior serves in the person's environment (e.g., positive reinforcement through social attention, negative reinforcement through escape from a task).
- Outcome: Provides a clear picture of variables that increase, decrease, maintain, or generalize the behavior of interest, offering a "roadmap" for effective interventions.
Critical Test (Bourret, Vollmer, & Rapp, 2004): The true value of assessment lies in "the degree to which it differentially indicates an effective teaching strategy" (p. $140$ ).

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

A specific three-step process sometimes included in behavioral assessment of problem behaviors.
Involves identifying and systematically manipulating antecedents and/or consequences that may control problem behaviors.
(Detailed exploration of FBA is covered in Chapter $24$ ).

Phases of Behavioral Assessment (Hawkins, 1979)

Conceptualized as "funnel-shaped," moving from a broad initial scope to a narrow, constant focus.
Five phases/functions (often overlapping chronologically):
1. Screening and general disposition: Initial gathering of information.
2. Defining and generally quantifying problems or desired achievement criteria: Specifying the nature of the issue.
3. Pinpointing the target behavior(s) to be treated: Identifying the specific behavior for change.
4. Monitoring progress: Tracking the effectiveness of interventions (covered in Part III of the book).
5. Following up: Evaluating long-term outcomes and maintenance (covered in Part III of the book).
This chapter specifically focuses on the preintervention functions of assessment related to selecting and defining target behaviors.

Essential Competencies for Applied Behavior Analysts

Knowledge: Understand what constitutes socially important behavior.
Skills: Possess technical expertise to use appropriate assessment methods and instruments.
Application: Be able to effectively match assessment data with suitable intervention strategies.
- Example 1: Remedial Reading Specialist: Must understand critical behaviors of a competent reader, diagnose skill deficits in struggling readers, and deliver effective instruction.
- Example 2: Behaviorally Trained Marriage and Family Therapist: Must know the range of behaviors defining a functional family, accurately assess family dynamics, and provide socially acceptable interventions for dysfunctional interactions.
Analysts must be knowledgeable about the context in which the target behavior occurs.

Preassessment Considerations: Authority and Permission

Before conducting any behavioral assessment or intervention, the analyst must address fundamental questions:
- Authority: Who has the authority to intervene?
- Permission: Who has granted permission for assessment and intervention?
- Resources: Are the necessary resources available?
- Skills: Does the analyst possess the requisite skills?
Ethical Obligation: Practitioners must recognize situations where applying their knowledge and skills to assess and change behavior is appropriate and sanctioned.
- Hypothetical Scenario: A behavior analyst observing a disruptive child in a checkout line without parental request lacks authority.
- Contrast: The same scenario with a parent who has requested assistance grants the analyst permission.
(Ethical considerations are further detailed in Chapter $29$ ).

Assessment Methods Used by Behavior Analysts

Four primary methods for gathering assessment information:
1. Interviews
2. Checklists
3. Tests
4. Direct Observation
Indirect vs. Direct Assessment Approaches:
- Indirect Assessment (Interviews, Checklists): Data are derived from recollections, reconstructions, or subjective ratings of past events. Useful but less objective.
- Direct Assessment (Tests, Direct Observation): Provides objective information about behavior as it occurs in real-time (Miltenberger, 2004). These are generally preferred as they offer actual performance data, not interpretations or qualitative indices (Hawkins, Mathews, & Hamdan, 1999; Heward, 2003).
Ecological Implications: Analysts should continuously enhance their skills regarding the broader ecological context of assessment.

Interviews

Can be conducted with the target person and/or significant others (e.g., teachers, parents, care providers).

Interviewing the Person

Often the initial and crucial step in generating a list of potential target behaviors.
Can be considered a direct assessment method if the person's verbal behavior itself is the target of interest (Hawkins, 1975).
Distinction from Traditional Interviews:
- Behavioral interviews primarily focus on "what" and "when" questions related to environmental conditions surrounding a behavioral episode.
- They avoid "why" questions, which tend to elicit unhelpful mentalistic explanations (e.g., "I'm just lazy").
- Rationale: Asking "why" presumes the client knows the answer, which is often frustrating (Kadushin, 1972).
- Effective Questioning (Gambrill, 1977, p. $153$ ): Focus on observable events ("What happens when…?") and behavioral examples ("Can you give me an example of what [you do]?").
Sample Behavioral Interview Questions (Figure $3.1$ ): An example sequence for a teacher dealing with disruptive students aims to identify variables preceding, during, and following negative teacher attention.
- This information is crucial for formulating hypotheses about controlling functions and planning interventions (e.g., Chapter $24$ discusses experimental manipulation for functional relations).
Supplementary Data Collection:
- Clients may complete questionnaires or needs assessment surveys (e.g., Altschuld & Witkin, 2000).
- Self-monitoring: Clients may record specific events (written or tape-recorded) related to their behavior (e.g., number of cigarettes smoked daily and conditions).
  - Self-monitoring provides data on antecedent conditions and helps in selecting/defining target behaviors.
  - (Detailed self-monitoring procedures are in Chapter $27$ ).

Interviewing Significant Others

Necessary when direct client interviews are not possible, or when corroborating information is needed (e.g., parents, teachers, coworkers).
Challenge: Significant others often use general, intrinsic terms (e.g., "afraid," "lazy," "unmotivated") to describe problems, implying internal causal factors.
Behavior Analyst's Role: Use variations of "what," "when," and "how" questions to guide significant others to describe specific behaviors and associated environmental conditions.
- Example Questions for a "noncompliant" or "immature" child:
  - "What is Derek doing when you would be most likely to call him immature or noncompliant?"
  - "During what time of day does Derek seem most immature (or noncompliant)? What does he do then?"
  - "How many different ways does Derek act immature (or noncompliant)?"
  - "How do you and other family members respond when Derek does these things?"
  - "If Derek were to be more mature and independent as you would like, what would he do differently than he does now?"
"The $5+5$ Behavior List" (Figure $3.2$ ): A form for parents or significant others to generate lists of five desirable behaviors currently performed and five behaviors they would like to see changed (more or less often).
Assessing Intervention Support: Interviews can also gauge the willingness and ability of significant others to help implement interventions, which is often critical for success.

Checklists

Can be used independently or combined with interviews to identify potential target behaviors.
Provide descriptions of specific behaviors, often in a hierarchical order, and the conditions for their occurrence.
Can be tailored for specific behaviors/skills (e.g., tooth brushing, social skills) or published for broader assessment.
Commonly utilize a Likert scale to gather information on the frequency, intensity, or duration of behaviors, and related antecedents/consequences.
Examples of Published Checklists:
- The Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff (March et al., 2000): A widely used program-specific checklist.
- Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1991):
  - Available in teacher, parent, and child report formats.
  - Applicable for children aged $5$ through $18$ .
  - Includes $112$ behaviors (e.g., "cries a lot," "not liked by other pupils").
  - Behaviors are rated on a $3$ -point Likert scale: "not true," "somewhat or sometimes true," or "very true or often true."
  - Also assesses social competencies and adaptive functioning.
- Adaptive Behavior Scale-School (ABS-S, Lambert, Nihira, & Leland, 1993):
  - Part $1$ : Covers $10$ domains of independent functioning and daily living skills (e.g., eating, toilet use, money handling, numbers, time).
  - Part $2$ : Assesses maladaptive (inappropriate) behavior across $7$ areas (e.g., trustworthiness, self-abusive behavior, social engagement).
- Adaptive Behavior Scale-Residential and Community (ABS-RC): Another version of the Adaptive Behavior Scale.

Key Terms for Behavioral Assessment

ABC recording: A method of recording descriptive data in which the observer notes Antecedent (environmental conditions or events that immediately precede the behavior), Behavior (the specific action recorded), and Consequence (events that immediately follow the behavior).
anecdotal observation: A form of direct observation where the observer provides a descriptive, narrative account of events as they occur.
behavior checklist: A tool that lists specific behaviors and the conditions under which they should occur, often used in conjunction with interviews.
behavioral assessment: A variety of methods used to identify and define targets for behavior change, including direct observations, interviews, checklists, and tests.
behavioral cusp: A behavior that, once acquired, exposes the individual to new environments, reinforcers, contingencies, responses, and stimulus controls. (Not explicitly defined in transcript, but listed as key term).
ecological assessment: An assessment approach that examines the client's behavior in relation to their total environment or ecology, including physical setting, social interactions, and environmental conditions. (Not explicitly defined in transcript, but listed as key term).
function-based definition: A definition of behavior that specifies the function or purpose the behavior serves for the individual, often related to the environmental consequences it produces.
habilitation: The ultimate goal of all applied behavior analytic services; to maximize an individual's skills and independence while minimizing problem behaviors.
normalization: The principle that people with disabilities should be enabled to lead lives that are as typical and integrated into society as possible.
pivotal behavior: A behavior, that once learned, produces corresponding modifications or covariations in other untrained behaviors. (Not explicitly defined in transcript, but listed as key term).
reactivity: The phenomenon where the process of observing or measuring a behavior changes the behavior itself.
relevance of behavior rule: Dictates that a target behavior should be selected only if it is likely to produce reinforcement in the individual's natural environment.
social validity: Refers to the social significance of target behavior, the appropriateness of the intervention procedures, and the social importance of the behavior change results. Concerns whether consumers, and society as a whole, consider the goals, procedures, and effects of an intervention to be acceptable and important.
target behavior: The specific behavior selected for change.
topography-based definition: A definition of behavior that specifies the form or physical movements of the behavior, without reference to its function.

Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB) Task List® References

Content Area $1$ : Ethical Considerations (1-5): Behavioral analysts must assist clients in identifying lifestyle or systems change goals and target behaviors consistent with:
- The applied dimension of ABA.
- Applicable laws.
- Ethical and professional standards of the profession.
Content Area $8$ : Selecting Intervention Outcomes and Strategies (8-2, 8-3, 8-5):
- Make recommendations for target outcomes based on client preferences, task analysis, current repertoires, supporting environments, constraints, social validity, assessment results, and scientific evidence.
- State target intervention outcomes in observable and measurable terms.
- Recommend behaviors that need to be established, strengthened, or weakened to achieve stated outcomes.
Content Area $6$ : Measurement of Behavior (6-2):
- Define behavior in observable and measurable terms.