Conducting Behavior Analysis

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Conducting Behavior Analysis

• The Basic Steps

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Step 1 Identify the target behavior

• In most cases this will be fairly simple
• However, you will want to be able to objectively
  identify instances of the behavior
• Operationalize the behavior
• In other words, create an operational definition
  of the behavior

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Whats an Operational Definition?

• Operational definitions define a term in the way
  that it will be measured.
• To be effective, these definitions must be
  concrete and unambiguous
• Furthermore, you need to be able to document them
• Example Aggressive behavior
• Definition The touching of another person when
  that person did not request the contact.

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Step 2 Conduct a Baseline

• Whats a baseline?
• Answer Baselines are measures of how frequently
  the behavior occurs prior to any intervention
• Conducting a baseline is absolutely critical
• Without it, you will have no idea whether or not
  the treatment was effect
• It is the equivalent of the control group

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Issues in Collecting Baseline Data

• How long to collect data
• Obviously, with problem behavior, you want to
  start treatment as soon as possible
• However, trends in the data may prolong the
  baseline
• Conduct the baseline until the rate of behavior
  appears stable
• Or the frequency of the behavior is moving away
  from the direction of the treatment

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Issues in Collecting Baseline Data

• How many data points do I need?
• Answer At least two, usually three
• Make sure that the data are collected in a
  practical manner
• For instance, it would probably be impractical to
  measure self-injurious behavior by the minute
• By the hour or day would be more practical

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Step 3 Perform a functional analysis

• Whats a functional analysis?
• Answer A functional analysis is a way of
  documenting what contingencies are maintaining
  the target behavior
• This is important because, for instance,
  behaviors that are maintained by classical
  conditioning will be resistant to interventions
  that use operant conditioning

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How to conduct a Functional Analysis

• Several different types of assessments are
  possible
• Questionnaires may be used to gather information.
  They should be filled out by people familiar
  with the target behavior
• Observation of the person in question
• Experimental assessments
• Preferable if practical

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Experimental Functional Analyses

• Must set up different situations and document the
  frequency of the target behavior
• Place in different contexts or situations
• If the behavior occurs only in the presence of
  certain stimuli, then this would suggested an
  elicited response (Pavlovian)
• Observe in the presence and absence of potential
  reinforcement

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Example Joey talks out of turn in class.

• Record Joeys classroom behavior each of his
  different classes
• Monitor Joeys behavior during different
  classroom activities
• For instance, the behavior may occur only when
  the teacher is asking questions
• Alter the consequences
• Examples reprimand, extinction

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What does this accomplish?

• When the experimental functional analysis is
  finished, you can then determine a behavior
  plan for changing the target behavior because
• You know the situations under which the behavior
  occurs
• You know the process (Pavlovian or Operant)
  underlying the behavior
• You know the reinforcement contingencies
  controlling the behavior

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Step 4 Creating a behavior plan

• What is contained in the behavior plan will be
  determined by the type of conditioning
• Pavlovian effects
• If it is determined that the behavior is a CR,
  then treatment will most likely involving either
  extinction or counterconditioning
• Operant effects
• Operant behaviors will be changed through
  reinforcement, punishment, or extinction

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The Behavior Plan Itself

• Pavlovian techniques
• Identify the Conditioned Stimuli
• Identify the Unconditioned Stimulus
• Identify the technique to be used to change the
  CR
• Document how the chosen technique will be carried
  out
• This is especially important when more than one
  person will be involved

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The Behavior Plan Itself

• Operant techniques
• Identify the contingencies maintaining the
  behavior
• Identify the technique that will be employed to
  change it
• Positive reinforcement is the preferred option
• Avoids the use of aversive procedures
• The trick is to identify reinforcers that will
  work

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Identifying Reinforcers

• You may want to make a list of possible positive
  reinforcers that include the following
• Consumables (e.g., food)
• Tokens (e.g., money)
• Activities the person enjoys engaging in
• Hobbies, sports, leisure-time activities

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Remember the PREMACK PRINCIPLE

• Identifying tangible reinforcers may be difficult
  because their reinforcing power will be
  determined by whether or not they work
• Other issues, such as satiation and habituation,
  may also arise
• Identifying behaviors that the person often
  engages will often be the easiest and most
  fool-proof way to proceed

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Next, formally identify how the plan should be
implemented

• Identify the situations in which the behavior
  plan will be in effect
• Clearly identify the behavior(s) to be reinforced
• Clearly identify the reinforcer for the behavior
  and how it should be administered
• That is, method and schedule of delivery

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Next, formally identify how the plan should be
implemented

• Provide an easy and reliable way in which each
  occurrence of the target behavior can be
  documented
• Formally identify the criterion for discontinuing
  the behavior plan
• Example, X number of occurrences per month for 6
  consecutive months

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Adding complexity to the Behavior Plan

• Many actual behavior plans will require more
  complex procedures
• For example, those that include negative
  reinforcement or punishment will require further
  directions for the environment will be altered
• Two examples

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Example 1 Negative reinforcement by removal of
the television

• Such a plan will follow the previous format, but
  should probably also include
• Directions for where the television should be
  placed
• Leaving it within sight of the person will most
  likely cause further problem behaviors
• Instructions for how to handle problem behaviors
  that may arise
• The person may go looking for the television

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Example 2 Negative punishment by restraint

• Self-injurious behavior (SIB) such as head
  banging may be maintained by the physical
  stimulation it provides
• One potential treatment is physical restraint
• A behavior plan that calls for such restraint
  must include
• Instructions for how the restraint will be
  applied
• How long the restraint will be in effect

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Ethical Considerations

• In professional settings, behavior plans will be
  reviewed by panels of experts prior to
  implementation
• Similar to institutional review boards
• The progress will usually be monitored by the
  same panel at regular intervals
• Allows for assessment of effectiveness
• Safeguards clients safety and well-being