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. 2009 Fall;42(3):697-702.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-697.

A procedure for identifying precursors to problem behavior

Brandon Herscovitch  1 , Eileen M Roscoe, Myrna E Libby, Jason C Bourret, William H Ahearn
Affiliations

A procedure for identifying precursors to problem behavior

Brandon Herscovitch et al. J Appl Behav Anal. 2009 Fall.

Abstract

We describe a procedure for differentiating among potential precursor responses for use in a functional analysis. Conditional probability analysis of descriptive assessment data identified three potential precursors. Results from the indirect assessment corresponded with those obtained from the descriptive assessment. The top-ranked response identified as a precursor according to the indirect assessment had the strongest relation according to the probability analysis. When contingencies were arranged for the precursor in a functional analysis, the same function was identified as for target behavior, supporting the utility of indirect and descriptive methods to identify precursor behavior empirically.

Keywords: descriptive assessment; functional analysis; precursors; problem behavior; response-class hierarchies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The top panel depicts comparative probability analyses, including the probability of target behavior (head hitting) given precursor behavior (finger biting; p[TB|Pre]), the unconditional probability of target behavior (p[TB]), the probability of precursor behavior given target behavior (p[Pre|TB]), and the unconditional probability of precursor behavior (p[Pre]). The middle and bottom left panels show results from the functional analysis of head hitting, and the middle and bottom right panels show results from the functional analysis of finger biting.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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