Behavior modification
3rd Class
Functional assessment
Todays task
Carry out the first steps of Behavioral
Assessment of PROCRASTINATION
(counterproductive postponing of tasks to later
time)
Define the current and target behavior (how you
know it)
Perform Functional analysis
Stick to ABC format - generate as much as possible
As and Cs
Behavioral assessment typical steps
Functional assessment - steps
1. Gather information via indirect and descriptive
assessment
2. Interpret information from indirect and
descriptive assessment
3. Test hypothesis using functional analysis
4. Develop intervention options based on the
function of problem behavior
4 Assessment Methods
Goal: Enable to formulate hypotheses
INDIRECT
Interviews
Checklist
DIRECT
Standardized tests
Direct observation
Interview
Do not ask WHY but WHAT and WHEN
Focus on environmental conditions before,
during and after a behavioral episode
Example
Case: Teacher you yells at disruptive students
In your own words, can you define the problem
behaviors that prompted your request?
When you engage in negative attention, what
happens usually immediately BEFORE that
behavior occurs?
What usually happens AFTER you yell at the
students?
What are the students reactions when you yell?
Behavior checklist and rating
scales
Provides descriptions of specific behaviors and
the conditions under which each behavior
should occur.
You can use:
Published checklists
Create specific situation or skills checklist.
Example: Child Behavior Checklist
(Achenbach)
Acts too young for his/her age.
Afraid to try new things.
Avoids others to look in the eye.
Cant concentrate, cant pay attention for long.
Gets too upset when separated from parents.
0= Not True
1= Somewhat or Sometimes True
2=Very True or Often True
Standardized tests
Officially published
Performance and personality tests
Same administration procedure, same questions,
same scoring.
Population norms
Main problem: Results cannot be directly
translated into target behavior - not situation
specific results
Examples
Ravens matrices
Torrance Creativity test
Direct observation
Anecdotal or ABC observation
We record descriptive, temporally sequenced
account of all behavior of interest, antecedents
and consequences of behavior as it occurs in
natural environment.
Usually 20-30 minutes, repeating periods
Example: ABC anecdotal form
Time
Antecedents
Behavior
Consequences
18.40
Teacher asks students for
their examples
Student is quiet
Teacher is
showing surprise
and waits.
18:41
Teachers verbally encourages Student is quiet
the students
Teacher starts to
move nervously
ad look at the
colleague.
18:42
Teacher holds the eye
contact and tries to smile
Teacher is happy,
listens and praises
the student for
sharing his
example.
A student
responds
4 Assessment Methods
Goal: Enable to formulate hypotheses
INDIRECT
Interviews
Checklist
DIRECT
Standardized tests
Direct observation
Procrastination
Part 1 - Interview
Exercise
Form pairs
Carry out the interview with you partner, in
which you should:
Identify the problematic & target behaviors in
observable and measurable terms
Identify the antecedents and consequences
Use when & what questions!
Do not help each other!
You have 8+8 minutes
Functional assessment - steps
1. Gather information via indirect and descriptive
assessment
2. Interpret information from indirect and
descriptive assessment
3. Test hypothesis using functional analysis
4. Develop intervention options based on the
function of problem behavior
Now we have hypotheses.
Now what?
We need to plan next steps:
Select hypotheses to be tested
Design testing approach to each hypothesis
Selecting hypotheses to be tested
Perform scoring on ALL hypothesis
Higher the score = higher the impact of a given
factor
Sort the hypotheses
Select first few and proceed with the next step
Design testing approach to each
hypothesis
Group design can not be used :(
Single case design
Baseline period
Intervention period
ABAB design
Multiple baseline design
Alternating treatments design
Procrastination
Part 2: Scoring & testing
Exercise
In pairs:
Perform scoring of your hypothesis and design
testing approach for first 2 of them
You have 10 minutes
Functional assessment - steps
1. Gather information via indirect and descriptive
assessment
2. Interpret information from indirect and
descriptive assessment
3. Test hypothesis using functional analysis
4. Develop intervention options based on the
function of problem behavior
Field observation
Deadline: 28th March
Maximum range: 2 pages
Homework assignment
Select one person in his/her natural
environment
Perform at least 30 minutes non-intrusive
observation of his/her interaction
Record the data according to methodology
explained today
Use ABC recording form download at
dl.cuni.cz
Follow Instructions for assignment (next slide)
Instructions for assignment
Write down everything that subject does, says and everything that
happens to the person
You can use your abbreviations, but expand them immediately after
the observation ends
Record action that are seen or heard, not you interpretations
Record the temporal sequence of each response of interest by
writing down what happened just before and right after it
Record the estimated start time of each behavioral episode
Optionally also end time
Be as unobtrusive as possible
Discussion
[The end of the today's class]
