Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Comparison of Descriptive and Functional Analyses of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Behavior Analysis in Practice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent years, rather than being used to assess the potential function of a response, descriptive assessment methods have been applied to evaluate potential consequences or contingencies for problem behavior (Borrero, Woods, Borrero, Masler, & Lesser in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43, 71–88. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-71, 2010) or to assist with designing baseline conditions to approximate caregiver behavior (Casey et al. in Behavior Modification, 33, 537–558. doi: 10.1177/0145445509341457, 2009). It has been shown that descriptive assessments of some forms of problem behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression) are not good indicators of behavioral function and should not be used exclusively when conducting functional behavior assessments (Thompson & Iwata in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 333–338. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2007.56.06/epdf, 2007). However, the extent to which descriptive assessments of inappropriate mealtime behavior can predict behavioral function is not yet clear. We conducted descriptive assessments of inappropriate mealtime behavior and compared the results to functional analyses for ten children with severe food refusal. Results showed that, for 71 % of participants, the descriptive and functional analyses matched. These results suggest that the correspondence between descriptive and functional analyses, at least for inappropriate mealtime behavior, may be higher than that for other forms of problem behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Babbitt, R. L., Hoch, T. A., Coe, D. A., Cataldo, M. F., Kelly, K. J., Stackhouse, C., et al. (1994). Behavioral assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 15, 278–291. doi:10.1097/00004703-199408000-00011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bachmeyer, M. H. (2009). Treatment of selective and inadequate food intake in children: a review and practical guide. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2, 43–50.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bachmeyer, M. H., Kirkwood, C. A., Criscito, A. B., Mauzy, C. R., & Berth, D. P. (Accepted for publication). A comparison of methods of a functional analysis of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

  • Bentovim, A. (1970). The clinical approach to feeding disorders of childhood. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 14, 267–276. doi:10.1016/0022-3999(70)90053-X.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borrero, C. S. W., & Borrero, J. C. (2008). Descriptive and experimental analyses of potential precursors to problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41, 83–96. doi:10.1901/jaba.2008.41-83.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Borrero, C. S. W., Woods, J. N., Borrero, J. C., Masler, E. A., & Lesser, A. D. (2010). Descriptive analysis of pediatric food refusal and acceptance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43, 71–88. doi:10.1901/jaba.2010.43-71.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Casey, S. D., Perrin, C. J., Lesser, A. D., Perrin, S. H., Casey, C. L., & Reed, G. K. (2009). Using descriptive assessment in the treatment of bite acceptance and food refusal. Behavior Modification, 33, 537–558. doi:10.1177/0145445509341457.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, L. J., Wacker, D. P., McComas, J. J., Brown, K., Peck, S. M., Richman, D., et al. (1995). Use of component analyses to identify active variables in treatment packages for children with feeding disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 139–153. doi:10.1901/jaba.1995.28-139.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, W., Piazza, C. C., Bowman, L. G., Hagopian, L. P., Owens, J. C., & Slevin, I. (1992). A comparison of two approaches for identifying reinforcer for persons with severe and profound disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 491–498. doi:10.1901/jaba.1992.25-491.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata, B. A., Dorsey, M. F., Slifer, K. J., Bauman, K. E., & Richman, G. S. (1982/1994). Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 197–209. (Reprinted from Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 2, 3–20, 1982) doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197

  • Iwata, B. A., Pace, G. M., Dorsey, M. F., Zarcone, J. R., Vollmer, T. R., Smith, R. G., et al. (1994). The functions of self-injurious behavior: an experimental-epidemiological analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 215–240. doi:10.1901/jaba.1994.27-215.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata, B. A., Wallace, M. D., Kahng, S., Lindberg, J. S., Roscoe, E. M., Conners, J., et al. (2000). Skill acquisition in the interpretation of functional analysis methodology. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 181–194. doi:10.1901/jaba.2000.33-181.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Leon, Y., Borrero, J. C., & DeLeon, I. G. (2016). Parametric analysis of delayed primary and conditioned reinforcers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 1–17. doi:10.1002/jaba.311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, D. C., & Iwata, B. A. (1993). Descriptive and experimental analysis of variables maintaining self-injurious behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 293–319. doi:10.1901/jaba.1993.26-293.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, S., Thompson, R. J., & Linscheid, T. R. (1975). Applied behavior analysis in the treatment of childhood feeding problems. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 3, 333–339. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.1975.tb04671.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patel, M. R., Piazza, C. C., Martinez, C. J., Volkert, V. M., & Santana, C. M. (2002). An evaluation of two differential reinforcement procedures with escape extinction to treat food refusal. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 363–374. doi:10.1901/jaba.2002.35-363.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Perske, R., Clifton, A., McClean, B. M., & Stein, J. I. (Eds.). (1977). Mealtimes for severely and profoundly handicapped persons: new concepts and attitudes. Baltimore: University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piazza, C. C. (2008). Feeding disorders and behavior: what have we learned? Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 14, 174–181. doi:10.1002/ddrr.22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piazza, C. C., Fisher, W. W., Brown, K. A., Shore, B. A., Patel, M. R., Katz, R. M., et al. (2003). Functional analysis of inappropriate mealtime behaviors. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36, 187–204. doi:10.1901/jaba.2003.36-309.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Piazza, C. C., Patel, M. R., Gulotta, C. S., Sevin, B. A., & Layer, S. A. (2003). On the relative contributions of positive reinforcement and escape extinction in the treatment of food refusal. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36, 309–324. doi:10.1901/jaba.2003.36-309.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, G. K., Piazza, C. C., Patel, M. R., Layer, S. A., Bachmeyer, M. H., Bethke, S. D., et al. (2004). On the relative contributions of noncontingent reinforcement and escape extinction in the treatment of food refusal. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 27–42. doi:10.1901/jaba.2004.37-27.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rooker, G. W., Iwata, B. A., Harper, J. M., Fahmie, T. A., & Camp, E. M. (2011). False- positive tangible outcomes of functional analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 737–745. doi:10.1901/jaba.2011.44.737.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, W. G., Jaquess, D. L., Morton, J. F., & Herzinger, C. V. (2010). Pediatric feeding disorders: a quantitative synthesis of treatment outcomes. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 13, 348–365. doi:10.1007/s10567-010-0079-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • St. Peter, C. C., Vollmer, T. R., Bourret, J. C., Borrero, C. S., Sloman, K. N., & Rapp, J. T. (2005). On the role of attention in naturally occurring matching relations. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 38, 429–443. doi:10.1901/jaba.2005.172-04.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. H., & Borrero, J. C. (2011). Direct observation. In W. W. Fisher, C. C. Piazza, & H. S. Roane (Eds.), Handbook of applied behavior analysis (pp. 191–205). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. H., & Iwata, B. A. (2001). A descriptive analysis of social consequences following problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 169–178. doi:10.1901/jaba.2001.34-169.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. H., & Iwata, B. A. (2007). A comparison of outcomes for descriptive and functional analysis of problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 333–338. doi:10.1901/jaba.2007.56.06/epdf.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vollmer, T. R., Borrero, J. C., Wright, C. S., Van Camp, C., & Lalli, J. S. (2001). Identifying possibly contingencies during descriptive analyses of severe behavior disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 269–287. doi:10.1901/jaba.2001.34-269.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vollmer, T. R., Marcus, B. A., Ringdahl, J. E., & Roane, H. S. (1995). Progressing from brief assessments to extended experimental analyses in the evaluation of aberrant behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 561–576. doi:10.1901/jaba.1995.28-561.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K. E., Field, D. G., & Seiverling, L. (2010). Food refusal in children: a review of the literature. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31, 625–633. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2010.01.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K. E., Riegel, K., & Kerwin, M. L. (2009). Feeding disorder of infancy or early childhood: how often is it seen in feeding programs? Children’s Health Care, 38, 123–136. doi:10.1080/02739610902813302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woods, J. N., Borrero, J. C., Laud, R. B., & Borrero, C. S. W. (2010). Descriptive analyses of pediatric food refusal: the structure of parental attention. Journal of Behavioral Modification, 34, 35–56. doi:10.1177/0145445509355646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author Note

This research was conducted at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD and was part of a capstone project completed by the second author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the master’s degree from UMBC. We thank John Borrero, Melissa Gonzalez, and Jennifer Zarcone for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript and Jessica Cox, Denise Dieter, and Fiorella Ferrando for their assistance with data analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Carrie S. W. Borrero

  2. 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Carrie S. W. Borrero

  3. University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Jennie D. England

  4. Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ben Sarcia & Julia N. Woods

Authors
  1. Carrie S. W. Borrero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jennie D. England
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ben Sarcia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Julia N. Woods
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carrie S. W. Borrero.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Research Involving Human Participants

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Borrero, C.S.W., England, J.D., Sarcia, B. et al. A Comparison of Descriptive and Functional Analyses of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior. Behav Analysis Practice 9, 364–379 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0149-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0149-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation