Choice making has proven to be an effective intervention for reducing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior. Some researchers have argued that providing opportunities for choice results in an option that the individual prefers. Thus, the efficacy of providing opportunities is related to the reinforcing value of the selection. Other researchers suggest that choice may have reinforcement value independent of, or in addition to, the selection made. This study sought to further examine the mechanism accounting for the influence of choice on behavior. Participants were three individuals with a variety of diagnoses and problem behaviors. Each individual engaged in problematic behavior during task situations. Intervention consisted of providing the individuals a choice of the sequence in which tasks were completed. The intervention resulted in improved behavior for each participant. In addition to supporting the notion that choice making itself may be reinforcing, this study illustrates a practical, effective approach for increasing desirable behavior and decreasing problematic behavior.In recent years, researchers and practitioners have recognized the importance of offering choice-making opportunities to individuals with disabilities (Datillo, 1986). Choice making not only enhances a person's quality of life (Meyer, Eichinger, & Park-Lee, 1987) but can also be used in a therapeutic manner to reduce problematic behavior and occasion appropriate behavior. For example, in a review of choice research conducted between 1975 and 1996, Kern and colleagues (1998) identified 14 research studies that implemented choice as an intervention to decrease undesirable behavior and/or increase desirable behavior.Interventions were implemented in three areas, including vocational/domestic skills (
This study investigated the similarity of information provided from a daily behavior report card (DBRC) as rated by the teacher to direct observation data obtained from external observers. In addition, the similarity of ratings was compared with variations of problem severity (mild, severe) and teacher training (none, some). Results suggested a moderate association between teacher perceptions of behavior as measured by DBRC ratings and direct observation conducted by an external observer. In addition, 23-45% of the variance in DBRC ratings was consistent with the direct observation data. Severity of the behavior problem or the inclusion of training was not found to significantly affect the similarity of ratings. In summary, results tentatively suggest that the DBRC may be a viable supplement to direct observation for estimating behavior in applied settings. Limitations, future research directions, and implications are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Teacher ratings of behavior have become an integral part of the evaluation of children's behavior, with some suggestion that such ratings are the most widely used method for assessing classroom conduct problems (Hoge & Andrews, 1992). The types of teacher ratings range from norm-referenced measures of a broad range of behaviors to educator-made questions about a narrower set of classroom behaviors. The latter, which we refer to as a daily behavior report card (DBRC), serves as the focus of the current investigation. A measure is considered a DBRC if a specified behavior is rated at least daily, and that information is shared with someone other than the rater (Chafouleas, Riley-Tillman, & McDougal, 2002). Although various other terms have been used to describe a DBRC when used as an intervention tool (e.g., good behavior note, home school note, daily report card), using such measures as a way to collect information about student behavior may be considered a type of performance-based behavioral recording. In such a performance-based behavior recording procedure, behaviors are identified and described, and then a Likert-type scale is developed that corresponds to specific dimensions of behavior (Steege, Davin, & Hathaway, 2001).Historically, systematic direct observation has been considered an essential component of behavioral assessment (Alessi, 1998;Hintze, Volpe, & Shapiro, 2002). It has been argued that direct observation, although not without limitations, lends itself to more precise (i.e., reliable and accurate) estimates of behavior because the information is collected as the behavior actually occurs.
Self-management procedures typically focus on decreasing an undesirable target behavior or increasing a behavior that is incompatible with an undesirable target behavior. Although it is effective, self-management generally is designed in such a way that reinforcement accessed through the program may not be functionally equivalent to reinforcement accessed by engaging in the target behavior. In this study, we examined the efficacy of self-management procedures designed to reinforce both behavior that was incompatible with the target behavior and appropriate replacement behavior that was functionally equivalent to the undesirable target behavior. Functional analyses were conducted with three participants. Each participant was then taught to self-manage incompatible appropriate behavior as well as appropriate requests for reinforcement (i.e., escape, attention, materials) identified as functionally related to the problematic target behaviors. Results indicated that the self-management procedures resulted in lower rates of problem behavior and participants appropriately requested functionally relevant reinforcement.
Physical guidance is a strategy commonly used for noncompliance. In two experiments, we evaluated reinforcing effects of physical guidance. Experiment 1 include three individuals with developmental disabilities who were noncompliant with tasks. Anecdotal observations indicated physical contact was highly reinforcing, and a functional analysis identified attention as a reinforcer for problem behavior. Two conditions compared physical guidance following noncompliance and no physical guidance following noncompliance. Results showed noncompliance increased for all three participants when physical guidance followed noncompliance. The second experiment empirically evaluated the function of noncompliance prior to examining the effect of physical guidance on noncompliance. A functional analysis, conducted with two participants, indicated noncompliance served an escape function for one and an attention function for the other. Comparisons of physical guidance and no physical guidance indicated physical guidance resulted in decreased noncompliance for the participant with an escape function but increased noncompliance for the participant with an attention function.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.