Applied Behavior Analytic Journal Article Summary

Summary of an Applied Behavior Analytic Journal Article

Your Name: Lauren Sciortino Date: 1/18/16 Instructor?s Name: Dr. Tagg

Author(s)? last name(s) followed by first initials: Herscovitch, B., Roscoe, E., Libby, M., Bourret, J, & Ahearn, W.

Date: Fall 2009 Article Title A Procedure for Identifying Precursors to Problem Behavior

Name of Journal: Journal Of Applied Behavior Analysis

Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Pages: 697-702

I. Introduction

The authors intended to describe a procedure for differentiating among potential precursor responses for use in functional analyses while building on the previous research studies on a similar topic. The authors have given an overview of the previous studies and their

The researchers then conducted a functional analysis of both the strongest precursor and the most severe targeted problem behavior.

Adding these techniques to my repertoire requires that I first consider the effects of behavior on learning in a class setting. Furthermore, my teaching as a behavior analyst requires that I act upon the behavior difficulty already identified to ensure the students with such difficulties learn normally and productively. The article provides a fundamental understanding of the behavioral problems, behavioral assessments, and the relevant behavioral intervention procedures to assist behavior analyst handling students with functional behavioral problems with their learning.

II. Methods

The study comprised a ten-year-old boy by the name Jay that had previously been diagnosed with autism. Other four students and teachers were also included in the study. Trained observers were also present to record the observed behavior for further analysis. The experimenter was also present and initiated further data collection procedures by interviewing the 16

The experimenters included the teachers in the direct assessments to ensure the validity of the research. In that case, the teachers ensured that the researchers collected that they were supposed to collect from the child participant.

Jay sat on one of the desks previously described above with his teacher as the other students were engaged in typical classroom activities. The experimenters conducted functional analysis in the room that was equipped with a wide angled video camera. The video camera recorded Jay 's problem behavior such as head hitting, finger biting, loud vocalizations, tailbone hitting, hand clasping and elbow hitting which constituted the dependent variables. The trained observers scored the dependent variables using handheld computers.

The experimenters also conducted interviews with 16 respondents who were Jay 's teachers. During the interviews, the experimenters recorded the responses in a score sheet. Jay was also videotaped in his regular classroom setting going from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 3 pm. The procedure lasted 5 to 12 min periods each and stopped after 20 instances of problem behavior was captured. The total length of time for the descriptive assessment was 56