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. 2012 Summer;45(2):361-74.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.2012.45-361.

Progressing from identification and functional analysis of precursor behavior to treatment of self-injurious behavior

Joseph D Dracobly  1 , Richard G Smith
Affiliations

Progressing from identification and functional analysis of precursor behavior to treatment of self-injurious behavior

Joseph D Dracobly et al. J Appl Behav Anal. 2012 Summer.

Abstract

This multiple-study experiment evaluated the utility of assessing and treating severe self-injurious behavior SIB based on the outcomes of a functional analysis of precursor behavior. In Study 1, a precursor to SIB was identified using descriptive assessment and conditional probability analyses. In Study 2, a functional analysis of precursor behavior was conducted. Finally, study 3 evaluated the effects of a treatment in which precursor behavior produced the maintaining variable identified in the precursor functional analysis. Studies 1 and 3 were conducted in two settings in the participants natural environment, where data collection was ongoing throughout the course of the study. Results showed that it was possible to identify a precursor to infrequent but severe SIB, that a functional analysis of precursor behavior suggested a clear operant function, and that treatment based on the results of the precursor functional analysis reduced SIB in the natural environment.

Keywords: functional analysis; lagsequential analysis; naturalistic treatment; precursor behavior; problem behavior.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Results of the baseline observations and treatment analysis at Peters workplace and ongoing baseline at his apartment. Data are displayed as responses per minute for all sessions. Data for headup are presented on the primary y axis, and data for SIB are presented on the secondary y axis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Lag-sequential analysis. The horizontal line represents the unconditional probability of headup. The vertical line represents all instances of SIB. The probability of headup is depicted as a function of the time before lag 50 and after lag 50 an occurrence of SIB.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Lag-sequential analysis. The horizontal line represents the unconditional probability of SIB. The vertical line represents all instances of headup. The probability of SIB is depicted as a function of the time before lag 50 and after lag 50 an occurrence of headup.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Results of the precursor functional analysis. Data are displayed as responses per minute for all sessions. The top panel contains data for headup. The bottom panel contains data for SIB, which was measured for tracking purposes only.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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