It is common to isolate reinforcement contingencies across several test conditions in functional analyses of problem behavior; however, synthesizing all reinforcement contingencies in a single test condition may also have merit and even be necessary in some cases. Following a differentiated functional analysis, which relied on an interview‐informed synthesized test condition, functional communication training (FCT) was applied across the three suspected contingencies of reinforcement, partly in an attempt to understand the relevance of each. Communication responses were acquired for all three reinforcers, and problem behavior ceased only when all contingencies were addressed via FCT, suggesting that problem behavior was controlled by multiple contingencies of reinforcement. These analyses suggest that control by multiple contingencies of reinforcement can be understood during the treatment development process following a highly efficient functional analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The current study builds on a small but growing body of research evaluating the formal and functional characteristics of emerging problem behavior before it becomes harmful and requires costly treatment. The researchers tested 21 preschool children's sensitivity to establishing operations that commonly precede severe problem behavior. Sensitivity tests were embedded in a small group play context to optimize safety, efficiency, and ecological validity. The tests screened several levels of problem-behavior severity as well as the presence of adaptive alternatives (i.e., communication) to problem behavior. Overall, outcomes suggested sources of reinforcement for minor-and moderate-severity problem behavior in 86% of children. Only 17% of children exhibiting problem behavior also engaged in appropriate requests in the same condition(s) as problem behavior. The present data are compared to published functional analyses of severe behavior. The results are discussed as a preliminary step towards a function-based model of risk identification and behavioral prevention of severe problem behavior.
Increasing diversity in the field of behavior analysis may begin with an evaluation of culturally responsive practices in the college classroom. This study leveraged the various backgrounds of students in a university nationally recognized for diversity to evaluate the effects of peer-generated course materials on student performance in an undergraduate behavior analysis course. First, graduate students created multimedia examples (videos, pictures) of the behavioral principles in their everyday lives. Next, we curated an online bank of these examples corresponding to 4 topics (respondent conditioning, reinforcement, antecedent control, extinction and punishment) taught in an undergraduate behavior analysis course. We used a multiple-probe and betweengroup design to evaluate the effects of these peer-generated materials as supplements to traditional instruction. Students showed evidence of concept acquisition on all topics. However, results showed that peer-generated examples, as supplements to textbook and lectures, did not enhance students' performance on knowledge assessments but were rated by students as more preferred, culturally responsive, and diverse than textbook examples. Keywords College teaching. Concept learning. Culturally responsive teaching. University coursework Undergraduate coursework can be the gateway to a career in behavior analysis, serving as a source of both information and inspiration. To maximize students' success in their college classrooms, many behavioral faculty have adopted evidencebased pedagogical tactics, including guided notes (e.g., Neef,
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