Functions of Behavior
What are the four functions of behavior?
What do the letters ABC stand for?
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
A motivating operation changes the value of what?
A reinforcer.
A client begins yelling every time the therapist is talking to another child. The therapist immediately turns toward the client and begins talking to them.
What is the most likely function?
Attention
Which part of the ABC is recorded FIRST?
A. Behavior
B. Consequence
C. Antecedent
D. Function
Antecedent
Jacob skipped breakfast. When offered crackers during therapy, he immediately requests them.
What motivating operation is most likely affecting his behavior?
An Establishing Operation (EO)—hunger increases the value of food.
A student is given a math worksheet. They throw the worksheet on the floor, and the teacher tells them they can take a five-minute break before returning to work.
What is the most likely function?
Escape
Which ABC note is more objective?
A.
"The client became angry and threw a tantrum."
B.
"The client screamed, cried, and dropped to the floor for approximately three minutes."
B
Sophia has been playing with bubbles for 45 minutes. When the therapist offers bubbles again, she isn't interested.
Is this an EO or an AO?
Abolishing Operation (AO)
A child begins crying whenever the iPad is taken away. The parent gives the iPad back after the crying starts.
What is the most likely function?
Access to tangibles
An RBT notices that over the past week, a client screamed on four separate occasions. Each time, the behavior occurred immediately after a difficult task was presented, and each time the therapist allowed the client to take a short break before returning to work.
Based on the ABC data, what is the most likely function of the behavior?
Escape
True or False:
Motivating operations directly cause behavior.
False.
They change how valuable a reinforcer is, making behavior more or less likely.
A client frequently rocks back and forth while sitting alone in their bedroom. The behavior occurs even when no one else is present and no changes occur in the environment.
What is the most likely function?
Sensory/Automatic Reinforcement
A new RBT writes:
"The client screamed because he wanted attention."
Why is this poor ABC data?
Because it includes an assumption.
ABC data should only describe observable events, not inferred motives or emotions.
Two children are offered popcorn.
One immediately asks for some.
The other politely says,
"No thank you. I just ate lunch."
Why did the same reinforcer produce different behavior?
Different motivating operations.
One child was hungry (EO), while the other was full (AO).