Abstract
This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness and social validity of 44 functional behavioral assessment (FBA) studies using single case research designs (SCRDs) conducted with youth displaying challenging behaviors or had high incidence disabilities. Three effect sizes were calculated: standard mean difference (SMD), Tau-U, and improvement rate difference (IRD). Fisher’s conservative dual criterion (CDC), which is a statistical aid to visual analysis, was also applied. Social validity was assessed by using indicators described by Kazdin (2010). Effect sizes were in ranges indicating moderate to large effects. Approximately 71% of AB contrasts reflected CDC systematic change. However, only 44% of studies assessed social validity. There were no significant differences in effectiveness of interventions whether or not a functional analysis was conducted nor whether the controlling function was escape or attention. Results are discussed in terms of FBA implementation issues related to social validity and the necessity for conducting a functional analysis for these youth.
Highlights
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a performance-based self-evaluative method for changing behavior, and whose dimensions were described by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) approximately half a century ago in the first issue of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
There have literally been hundreds of studies conducted on various aspects of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) methodologies across different participant characteristics, and approximately 17 systematic reviews have been conducted on various procedures and populations—eight of which used meta-analytic approaches to calculate effect sizes (Bruni et al, 2017; Common, Lane, Pustejovsky, Johnson, & Johl, 2017; Delfs & Campbell, 2010; Gage, Lewis, & Stichter, 2012; Goh & Bambara, 2012; Losinski, Maag, Katsiyannis, & Ennis, 2014; McKenna, Flower, Kim, Ciullo, & Haring, 2015; Miller & Lee, 2013)
411 were read to determine if they met the following inclusion criteria: (a) the study involved youth who either had high incidence disabilities, at risk that displayed challenging behaviors, or had either attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder (n = 99), (b) the sample included youth from grades k-12 (n = 93), (c) studies that were conducted in school classroom settings (n = 83), (d) studies developed and assessed an intervention based on the FBA conducted (n = 53), (e) studies that targeted inappropriate behavior for the FBA (n = 44), and (e) studies employed a single case research designs (SCRDs) to analyze the FBA (n = 44)
Summary
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a performance-based self-evaluative method for changing behavior, and whose dimensions were described by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) approximately half a century ago in the first issue of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Around that time, Carr (1977) described how self-injurious behaviors resulted from either positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Based on his hypotheses, Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman and Richman (1982) conducted what many consider the first study on FBA. It is believed that the most effective interventions implemented in school and clinical settings are those based on the purpose maladaptive behaviors serve (Ervin et al, 2001). Some of the variables addressed in these reviews included, but were not limited to, single case synthesis, effect size approaches, different populations, quality of studies, and positive supports in schools and clinics
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