Functional Analysis Of Behavior Research Articles

Analyzing the Functional Interdependence of Verbal Behavior with Multiaxial Radar Charts

AbstractThe functional analysis of complex verbal behavior requires an evaluation of topographically similar responses under multiple sources of control. Traditional graphical displays of behavior were designed to show the manipulation of isolated controlling variables and may not be amenable to displaying the multidimensional properties of complex behavior. Researchers have recently demonstrated the use of multiaxial radar charts for comparing the functional performance of biological systems. Here we extend the use of multidimensional analyses to compare the relative performance distributions of verbal behavior across four potential controlling variables. First, we provide a conceptual analysis of intraverbal and extraverbal control as continua along which stimuli range from formal to thematic and explain how the intersection of these stimulus fields creates a radar chart for multidimensional analysis. Then we demonstrate how data may be gathered through a verbal operant experimental analysis. We employed repeated measures to map the conditioning history of a child with autism spectrum disorder across 2 years of early intensive behavioral intervention and analyzed the results using shape descriptors for quantitative comparisons. We also compared the polygonal language profiles of children with autism against that of a neurotypical peer. Extending a multidimensional analysis to the field of verbal behavior provides the basis for a language growth chart that researchers and clinicians can use to monitor language acquisition over time. We discuss the use of radar charts as a framework for understanding the interdependence of verbal operants and suggest their use for complex analyses of complex verbal behavior.

Environmental restoration as a reinforcer in ritualistic contexts

AbstractWe conducted a functional analysis of severe problem behavior (aggression, disruption, and self‐injury). The analysis examined four potential socially mediated functions: attention, escape, receipt of tangible items, and restoration of environmental items. Restoration involved the experimenter replacing missing puzzle pieces, ring stacker rings, and shape sorter blocks without giving the items to the participant. An initial multielement functional analysis, followed by a brief pairwise comparison identified restoration of environmental items as the variable maintaining the participant's problem behavior. Subsequently, we conducted brief functional communication training to teach the participant to mand for restoration of disturbed items in the absence of problem behavior.

NT5DC2 knockdown suppresses progression, glycolysis, and neuropathic pain in triple-negative breast cancer by blocking the EGFR pathway.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an exceptionally aggressive breast cancer subtype associated with neuropathic pain. This study explores the effects of 5'-nucleotidase domain-containing protein 2 (NT5DC2) on the progression of TNBC and neuropathic pain. Microarray analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes in TNBC and the pathways involved. Gain- and loss-of-function assays of NT5DC2 were performed in TNBC cells, followed by detection of the extracellular acidification rate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, lactic acid production, glucose uptake, proliferation, migration, and invasion in TNBC cells. Macrophages were co-cultured with TNBC cells to examine the release of polarization-related factors and cytokines. A xenograft tumor model was established for in vivo validation. In addition, a mouse model of neuropathic pain was established through subepineural injection of TNBC cells, followed by measurement of the sciatic functional index and behavioral analysis to assess neuropathic pain. NT5DC2 was upregulated in TNBC and was positively correlated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). NT5DC2 interacted with EGFR to promote downstream signal transduction in TNBC cells. NT5DC2 knockdown diminished proliferation, migration, invasion, the extracellular acidification rate, ATP levels, lactic acid production, and glucose uptake in TNBC cells. Co-culture with NT5DC2-knockdown TNBC cells alleviated the M2 polarization of macrophages. Furthermore, NT5DC2 knockdown reduced tumor growth and neuropathic pain in mice. Importantly, activation of the EGFR pathway counteracted the effects of NT5DC2 knockdown. NT5DC2 knockdown protected against TNBC progression and neuropathic pain by inactivating the EGFR pathway.

Empirical study of college students' extracurricular reading preference by functional data analysis of the library book borrowing behavior.

Library data contains many students' reading records that reflect their general knowledge acquisition. The purpose of this study is to deeply mine the library book-borrowing data, with concerns on different book catalogues and properties to predict the students' extracurricular interests. An intelligent computing framework is proposed by the fusion of a neural network architecture and a partial differential equations (PDE) function module. In model designs, the architecture is constructed as an adaptive learning backpropagation neural network (BPNN), with automatic tuning of its hyperparameters. The PDE module is embedded into the network structure to enhance the loss functions of each neural perceptron. For model evaluation, a novel comprehensive index is designed using the calculus of information entropy. Empirical experiments are conducted on a diverse and multimodal time-series dataset of library book borrowing records to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Results validate that the proposed framework is capable of revealing the students' extracurricular reading interests by processing related book borrowing records, and expected to be applied to "big data" analysis for a wide range of various libraries.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OF APPRAISING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS IN LITERATURE TEACHING

This study looks at how Filipino ESL students behave when discussing Philippine literature in English. The study assesses how well instruction complies with the needs of ESL students and validates their knowledge and skills through their in-class behavior. The literary questions and specifications checklist was examined using functional behavioral analysis (FBA). This emphasized how crucial it is to outline the course material and instructional goals to ensure students' knowledge, behavior, and skills are properly measured. The study's findings demonstrated how well students understood complex concepts and how well they could respond to lengthy reinforcements that were in line with course requirements for Philippine literature. The study evaluated the efficacy of comprehension inquiries, writing strategies, and prompts as indicators of students' knowledge and abilities. Further investigation into teachers' and students' satisfaction with classroom progress was conducted in the research. Overall, this study offers important insights into how Filipino ESL students interact with Englishlanguage works by Filipino authors and how their knowledge and skills can be properly assessed and validated.

Functional analysis and treatment of adult problem behavior: A review

AbstractFunctional analysis (FA) methodology has been deemed the best practice in the field of applied behavior analysis. The data collected in an FA allows behavior analysts to develop the most effective and ethical behavior interventions. With the diagnosis for individuals with autism on the rise along with the forecast of adults who will need support, it may be time to take stock of the available literature. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the behavior analytic research over the last 25 years (1997–2022) on FA and treatment for adults who engage in severe problem behavior. Utilizing specific inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in the identification of 28 articles. These articles were examined across participant characteristics, target behavior, FA type, FA settings, interventions, generalization, and maintenance. Implications on adult FA and treatment are discussed along with recommendations for practitioners who desire to support this population.

VETERINARY PSYCHOLOGY

Animal behavior is closely linked to the process of evolution of nervous tissues that move towards the cephalic region, promoting the creation of a central nervous system with greater proximity to the sense organs, providing an increasing increase in sensory and cognitive functionalities. The functional analysis of animal behavior establishes a relationship between a certain action and changes that occur in the surrounding environment or within the individual. Changes in these factors may occur incidents, where the veterinarian must have an understanding of all the factors involved in order to contribute to the solution of this triggered behavioral pathology.

Provider Self-Reported Use and Usefulness of Intervention Strategies for Externalizing Behaviors in Youths with ASD

ABSTRACT Objective To examine predictors of implementation and perceived usefulness of four empirically supported strategies for treating externalizing behavior in youths with ASD. Method Participants were 557 providers in the United States with experience treating externalizing behavior in youths with ASD. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine whether self-reported use and usefulness of four empirically supported intervention strategies (functional communication training, functional behavior analysis, visual tools/supports, token economy) were predicted by key provider characteristics: professional discipline, experience, and practice specialization (across three indices) in ASD. Post-hoc contrasts were performed to identify provider groups reporting the greatest use and usefulness of the four strategies. Results Strategies were most often used by providers with behavioral backgrounds, though perceived usefulness of strategies varied by providers’ professional discipline. Compared to providers with more than 10 years of experience, less experienced providers endorsed the highest average use and usefulness of almost all strategies. Regarding ASD practice specialization, a lower volume of ASD cases, treating fewer youths with ASD over a 5-year period, and having a higher proportion of practice time working with youths with ASD reported were associated with greater use and usefulness of the strategies. Conclusions Empirically supported strategies are widely used by and perceived as useful by providers who treat youths with ASD and co-occurring externalizing behaviors. Use and usefulness varies based on provider discipline, experience, and ASD practice specialization.

Addressing the Catch-22 of Using Mixed Methods in Behavior Disorders Intervention Research

Limited emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD)–focused intervention mixed methods research (MMR) has been published, particularly in top-tier EBD journals (i.e., Behavior Disorders and Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders). The lack of published MMR creates what could be perceived as a Catch-22 situation wherein those who conduct EBD intervention research are not encouraged to conduct MMR because they do not see published examples in the journals that they read. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the routine use of MMR should be considered and suggest why doing so is a worthwhile endeavor. An overview of potential barriers to conducting intervention MMR in the field of EBD is provided. Examples of the use of MMR with Functional Behavior Analysis and Multi-tiered Systems of Support for students with Tier 2 needs are discussed. Details regarding the use of a mixed methods profile analysis to understand treatment successes and challenges are provided. Our hope is that this article will inspire EBD researchers to consider MMR as they develop interventions for children with EBD.

Predicting and Managing Risk during Functional Analysis of Problem Behavior

Maintaining participant safety during the assessment of problem behavior is of upmost importance. The performance-based, interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) is a functional analysis that incorporates an open-ended interview with caregivers. We introduced additional questions to the interview to identify participants who are prone to escalation. We found that the percentage of dangerous problem behavior and the probability of a burst were correlated with reports of quick escalation. The results suggest that questions regarding escalation speed may be helpful for predicting any safety concerns. Researchers should consider procedural modifications when safety concerns are anticipated to ensure individuals feel physically secure.

Do Physical Therapists Practice a Behavioral Medicine Approach? A Comparison of Perceived and Observed Practice Behaviors.

A behavioral medicine approach, incorporating a biopsychosocial view and behavior change techniques, is recommended in physical therapy for the management of musculoskeletal pain. However, little is known about physical therapists' actual practice behavior regarding the behavioral medicine approach. The aim of this study was to examine how physical therapists in primary health care judge their own practice behavior of a behavioral medicine approach in the assessment and treatment of patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain versus how they practice a behavioral medicine approach as observed by independent experts in video recordings of patient consultations. A prospective cohort study was conducted. Video recordings of 23 physical therapists' clinical behavior in 139 patient consultations were observed by independent experts and compared with the physical therapists' self-reported practice behavior, using a protocol including 24 clinical behaviors. The difference between observed and self-reported clinical behaviors was analyzed with a Chi-square test and a Fisher exact test. The behavioral medicine approach was, in general, practiced to a small extent and half of the self-reported clinical behaviors were overestimated when compared with the observed behaviors. According to the observations, the physical perspective dominated in assessment and treatment, the functional behavioral analysis was never performed, and the mean number of behavior change techniques used was 0.7. There was a discrepancy between how physical therapists perceived the extent to which they practiced a behavioral medicine approach in their clinical behavior compared with what the independent researchers observed in the video recordings. This study demonstrates the importance of using observations instead of using self-reports when evaluating professionals' clinical behavior. The results also suggest that-to ensure that physical therapy integrates the biopsychosocial model of health-physical therapists need to increase their focus on psychosocial factors in clinical practice.

Comparisons of functional behavior assessment procedures to the functional analysis of problem behavior.

Comparisons of functional behavior assessment procedures to the functional analysis of problem behavior.

Intraverbal Assessment for Persons with Aphasia or Other Acquired Brain Injury.

An intraverbal assessment was administered to older adults with aphasia, using a hierarchy of questions that required increasingly complex verbal discriminative stimulus control. Five categories of errors were defined and analyzed for putative stimulus control, with the aim to identify requisite assessment components leading to more efficient and effective treatments. Evocative control over intraverbal error responses was evident throughout the database, as shown by commonalities within four distinct categories of errors; a fifth category, representing a narrow majority of errors, was less clear in terms of functional control over responses. Generally, questions requiring increasingly complex intraverbal stimulus control resulted in weaker verbal performance for those with aphasia. A new 9-point intraverbal assessment model is proposed, based on Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior. The study underscores that loss or disruption of a formerly sophisticated language repertoire presents differently than the fledgling language skills and errors of new learners, such as typically developing children and those with autism or developmental disabilities. Thus, we would do well to consider that rehabilitation may require a different approach to intervention than habilitation. We offer several thematic topics for future research in this area.

From direct contingencies to derived relations: the ever-developing nature of theory and practice in behavior analysis.

To illustrate the processes of development within the behavioral theory and the corresponding expansion of the areas in which it is applied, especially the advancement (conceptual developments) of the functional analysis of language inspired by Relational Frame Theory (RFT) research. Classical and operant conditioning are well-established behavioral learning processes, discovered and described at the beginning of the twentieth century. They provide the tools for analyzing, establishing and modifying the functions of stimuli and responses of the organisms through manipulation of the environment. Although B. F. Skinner provided grounds for the functional analysis of complex behaviors such as language, it was not until the beginning of the twenty-first century that RFT was introduced. From this moment behavior analysts could use behavioral principles to explain how stimulus functions may change without direct learning. The practical application of the growing knowledge about Arbitrarily Applicable Relational Responding (AARR), a basic generalized operant described within RFT, allows us to analyze, explain and change behaviors that had hitherto been beyond the scope of behavioral therapy. The continued growth and development of behavior theory and practice holds the promise for an expansion of its application to new areas and populations in need. One such development is the functional analysis of verbal behavior e.g., relational frames, ROE (relating-orienting-evoking). It seems useful to add advancements proposed by RFT to the behavioral toolbox with which we could effectively describe, explain and change behavior with precision, scope and depth.

The Effect of Napping on the Function of Problem Behavior for One Child With an Acquired Brain Injury

Many children experience sleep disruption in the form of difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting back to sleep. Children with acquired brain injuries (ABI) sometimes experience an exacerbation of these symptoms. Thus, researchers and practitioners alike need to identify creative assessment and treatment approaches to meet this population’s needs. The purpose of the current case study was to highlight one method for (a) determining a nap schedule and (b) evaluating the effect of fatigue on behavioral function for one child diagnosed with an ABI. We conducted a scatterplot analysis to identify periods in which problem behaviors occurred more or less often. These data informed when the child took naps. Afterward, the child participated in a functional analysis of problem behavior before a nap and again after a nap. Results showed both negative and positive reinforcement maintained problem behaviors before naps, while only positive reinforcement maintained problem behaviors after naps. Functional communication training (FCT) programs implemented to address escape, tangible, and attention functions before naps reduced problem behavior and increased communication. These data suggested that (a) motivating operations for problem behavior can differ depending on fatigue and (b) FCT is an effective intervention for problem behavior affected by fatigue. The current study provides an example of an assessment and treatment approach when biologic factors, like sleep, may influence problem behavior.

14.1 Phenomenology and Management of Self-Injurious Behavior in ASD

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) in ASD is among the most difficult behaviors to manage. It occurs across a variety of comorbid diagnoses and genetic syndromes associated with ASD. The phenomenology of SIB for the individual can be remarkably stable and persistent across the life span. A functional behavioral analysis of symptoms is essential because sensory needs, communication abilities, social drive, and environmental circumstances are key to understanding the predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors that are essential to developing a case formulation and intervention plan.

Supplemental Material for Comparisons of Functional Behavior Assessment Procedures to the Functional Analysis of Problem Behavior

Supplemental Material for Comparisons of Functional Behavior Assessment Procedures to the Functional Analysis of Problem Behavior

A review of evidence based practices to support students with oppositional defiant disorder in classroom settings

The purpose of this systemic review of empirical research was to investigate available evidence-based interventions for use with students with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in general classroom settings. ODD is a specific disorder characterised by angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, and vindictiveness. Often ODD is hidden in the extant literature, as it is categorized under the umbrella term emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) along with sometimes non-related disorders (attention-disorders, mood disorders, anxious disorders). This review of 26 articles focused on interventions for students whose behaviours were characteristic of ODD in classroom settings. While much of the research regarding the treatment of ODD consists of clinical strategies (e.g., family therapy, exercise programs, and community supports), it is essential that teachers have strategies to support students with ODD in inclusive general education classroom settings. Three main types of interventions emerged from this review: functional behaviour analysis, group contingency, and self-monitoring strategies. A number of other non-categorical strategies are also presented and discussed. Percentages of nonoverlapping data (PND) were calculated to explore the effect of these interventions in improving adaptive behavior, and in decreasing disruptive behavior. The resulting review provides recommendations and strategies for how teachers can support students with ODD in their classrooms.

A new adaptation of the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analyses (IISCA): The performance-based IISCA

ABSTRACT The functional analysis of problem behavior is an important type of assessment that has been shown to increase the likelihood of arriving at an efficacious treatment. Several studies described the efficient use of the Interviewed-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) to reveal the variables that influence problem behavior across a variety of topographies, participants, and settings. In this study, we describe a new adaptation of the IISCA, the Performance-Based IISCA, used to assess the severe problem behavior of five Italian children with autism admitted to a clinic in the south of Italy. In all applications, the Performance-Based IISCA elucidated the synthesized establishing operations that evoked problem behavior and the synthesized reinforcers that influenced its maintenance. This study extends the literature on functional analysis by introducing the Performance-Based IISCA, demonstrating its viability with Italian clients and demonstrating how its procedural refinements can lead to safe analyses.

Behaviour-directed interventions for problematic person transfer situations in two dementia care dyads: a single-case design study

BackgroundPersons with dementia living in nursing homes need assistance with moving and transfers; however, caregivers assisting persons with dementia in their daily person transfers report strain-related and complicated transfer-related behavioural problems. The reciprocity of complex dyadic transfer-related behaviours is affected by environmental factors, the health status of the person with dementia and the caregiver’s skills and knowledge. The aim of this study was to explore tailored interventions guided by a functional behaviour analysis for problematic person transfer situations in two dementia care dyads.MethodsThis study was a quasi-experimental single-case study with an A-B design. Tailored interventions were developed in a five-step model for functional behavioural analysis. The study was conducted in a dementia special care unit at a nursing home, and the inclusion criteria were caregivers’ experiences of physical strain and/or resistiveness to care, which led to complex transfer-related behaviour. Two care dyads were included. Transfer situations were video-recorded and evaluated with the Dyadic Interaction in Dementia Transfer Assessment Scale, Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale, and Resistiveness to Care Scale for Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type. The caregiver experience was evaluated with study-specific items addressing caregiver self-efficacy, catastrophizing thoughts, perceived control, and perceived physical strain. Scorings were graphically displayed. The graphs were inspected visually to identify changes in trend, level, latency, and variability. Nonoverlap of all pairs (NAP), including 90% confidence intervals (CIs), was calculated to complement the visual inspection.ResultsVerbal and nonverbal discomfort decreased in care dyad 1, which mirrored the caregiver changes in adapting their actions to the needs of the person with dementia. High variability was seen in both the intervention and the baseline phases in care dyad 2. In both care dyads, caregiver transfer-related behaviour improved.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the transfer-related behaviours of the care dyad might be improved through a behaviour-directed intervention tailored to meet the care dyad´s needs. The small number of cases and observations limits the generalizability, and the results should be interpreted in consideration of the piloting approach of the study.