Antecedent Versus Consequent Events as Predictors of Problem Behavior
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Volume
42
Publication Date
2009
First Page
469
Last Page
483
Abstract
Comparisons of results from descriptive and functional analyses of problem behavior generally have shown poor correspondence. Most descriptive analyses have focused on relations between consequent events and behavior, and it has been noted that attention is a common consequence for problem behavior even though it may not be a functional reinforcer. Because attention may be prescribed simply as a means of stopping serious problem behavior, it is possible that naturally occurring antecedent events (establishing operations) might be better predictors of problem behavior than consequences. We conducted descriptive and functional analyses of the problem behaviors of 7 participants. Conditional probabilities based on combined antecedent and consequent events showed correspondence with the functional analysis data for 4 of the 7 participants, but antecedent events were no better than consequent events in identifying the function of problem behavior.
Recommended Citation
Camp, E. M., Iwata, B.A., Hammond, J.L., & Bloom, S.E. (2009). Antecedent versus consequent events as predictors of problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42, 469-483.
Comments
Originally published by Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.
Publisher’s PDF available through remote link.