Functional Analysis and Functional Assessment

Functional Analysis and Functional Assessment Overview

This week, the focus is on functional analysis and functional assessment, providing a general overview while emphasizing that greater detail will be covered in later courses.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

  • Definition: FBA refers to collecting information to hypothesize the functions of behavior.
  • Interchangeable Terms: Often confused with functional behavioral analysis; however, assessment and analysis are technically different.
    • Assessment: Gathering overall hypotheses about behavior's function.
    • Analysis: Conducting mini-experiments to verify hypotheses.

Importance of Terminology

  • As new students, you will learn and repeat terms frequently throughout the course.
  • Familiarize yourself with terms associated with behavior observation and single-subject design methodologies.
  • ABC Model: Focus on
    • A (Antecedents): Setting events and discriminative stimuli affecting behavior.
    • B (Behavior): The target behavior being analyzed.
    • C (Consequences): Consequences that occur after the behavior that could influence repetition.

Functional Assessment Tools

  1. Interviews: Essential to gather behavioral insights from parents, teachers, and aides regarding target behaviors.
  2. Checklists: Provide specific behaviors and factors influencing them.
  3. Direct Observations: Systematic observation to measure the target behavior's occurrences.

Setting Events

  • Definition: Circumstances in an individual's life that temporarily alter the effectiveness of reinforcers.
  • Examples:
    • Hunger as a setting event increases the likelihood of eating behavior.
    • Environmental conditions (e.g., temperature) can affect the reinforcing value of behaviors (e.g., drinking cold water on a hot day).

Stimulus Control

  • Definition: Situations where behavior is triggered by the presence or absence of stimulus.
    • Discriminative Stimulus (SD): An antecedent that reliably influences specific behaviors, often leading to reinforcement or punishment.

Extinction

  • Definition: A process whereby a previously reinforced behavior decreases in frequency when reinforcement is removed.
  • Challenges: Extinction can lead to extinction bursts, where behavior intensifies before decreasing, often causing initial frustration for change agents (e.g., parents, teachers).

Functions of Behavior

  • Recognized three main functions of behavior:
    1. Positive Reinforcement: Involves receiving something desired, thus increasing behavior likelihood.
    2. Negative Reinforcement: Involves the removal of aversive stimuli, increasing behavior likelihood (escape/avoidance).
    3. Automatic (Self-Stimulation) Reinforcement: Behaviors that are internally reinforced and provide sensory stimulation.

ABC and SRS Model

  • ABC Model: A description of behavior analysis functions as Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence.
  • SRS Model: Skinner's three-component model stating:
    • S (Stimulus) precedes the behavior (response).
    • R (Response) is the behavior itself.
    • S (Stimulus) follows, which is the consequence of the behavior.

Functional Assessment Tools

  • Tools available for assessments include forms designed for parents, teachers, and structured observation records, such as:
    1. Functional Assessment Interview Forms: Used to gather data from parents and teachers on children's behaviors.
    2. Behavior Rating Scales: Such as BASC (Behavioral Assessment System for Children) and CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist).
    3. Specific Rating Scales for Autism/ADHD: Tools that assess specific diagnoses and support behavioral analysis.

Conclusion

  • The emphasis is on gathering accurate data through FBAs to understand behavior's functions for effective intervention development.
  • Future lectures will provide detailed discussions on specific behaviors, techniques, and analyses within behavior analysis.
  • Students are encouraged to engage with instructors and utilize available resources for deeper understanding.

Remember

  • Building strong relationships with change agents (parents, teachers) is crucial for effective intervention implementation. Data collection, observation, and informed hypothesis generation are keys to success in functional assessments.