A Sequential, Test-Control Methodology for Conducting Functional Analyses of Self-Injurious Behavior

Abstract

Multielement and reversal designs used to identify maintaining variables for behavior disorders such as self-injury have several potential limitations, including interaction effects (multielement), inefficiency (reversal), and lack of a continuous control (reversal). This article describes a methodology that minimizes these problems yet captures the best features of both designs. This design consists of several phases implemented in a sequential (A-B-C) fashion, as in the reversal design. However, each phase consists of two conditions, a test and a control, presented concurrently in a multielement format. Five subjects' self-injury was assessed using both the multielement design and the sequential, test-control (or pairwise) design. Results for two subjects indicated that the multielement design produced clear assessment outcomes, and similar findings were obtained using the pairwise design. For two other subjects, the multielement assessments were somewhat undifferentiated, and clearer results were obtained using the pairwise design. The fifth subject's self-injury showed cyclical patterns using both assessment techniques. Benefits and limitations of the sequential assessment methodology are discussed.

Enhancing the Effects of Extinction on Attention‐maintained Behavior Through Noncontingent Delivery of Attention or Stimuli Identified via a Competing Stimulus Assessment

“…For Katy, all sessions were 20 min in length. Finally, the analysis was conducted using a pairwise comparison design (Iwata, Duncan, Zarcone, Lerman, & Shore, 1994) to help Katy discriminate among the different conditions.…”

Does Functional Communication Training Compete With Ongoing Contingencies of Reinforcement? An Analysis During Response Acquisition and Maintenance

“…The assessments for Rick and Sue were conducted within a multielement design (Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, & Richman, 1982); John's assessment was conducted within a modified design that combined features of the multielement and reversal designs (Iwata, Duncan, Lerman, & Shore, 1994).…”

Experimental functional analysis of aggression in children with Angelman syndrome

“…This methodology has since been refined and alternative techniques developed (Carr & Durand, 1985;Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, & Richman, 1994;Iwata, Duncan, Zarcone, Lerman, & Shore, 1994;Vollmer, Iwata, Duncan, & Lerman, 1993;Vollmer, Iwata, Zarcone, Smith, & Mazaleski, 1993;Neef & Iwata, 1994). Experimental functional analysis is now widely accepted as one of the best procedures for ascertaining if operant social reinforcement influences a given behavior.…”