Abstract
Identifying the maintaining contingencies of problem behavior can lead to effective treatment that reduces the occurrence of problem behavior and increases the potential for the occurrence of alternative behaviors. Many studies use descriptive assessments, but results vary in effectiveness and validity. Comparative research further supports the superior utility of analog functional analyses over descriptive assessments, but clinicians continue to report the consistent use of descriptive assessments in practice. Direct training on the recording of descriptive assessments as well as the process for interpreting the results are limited. The absence of research-based guidance leaves clinicians to interpret the results as they see fit rather than following best practice guidelines for this critical activity. This study examined the potential impact of direct training on several components of descriptive assessment: the recording of narrative antecedent-behavior-consequence data, interpretation of the data, and the selection of a function-based treatment. Implications for training and practice are reviewed.
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Notes
In this article, the researchers defined accuracy as the agreement of the observers scoring the same behavior
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We have no known conflict of interests to disclose and no funding was provided for this project. Study-specific approval was granted from an ethics committee due to research involving humans and informed consent to participate in the research was received.
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Appendices
Appendix A
The Worksheet for Participant Completion.
Appendix B
Scoring Rubric for Recording ABC Data
Scoring Rubric for Interpreting Data with Conditional Probabilities
Scoring Rubric for Selecting a Function-Based Intervention
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Tereshko, L., Weiss, M.J., Harper, J. et al. Impact of a Training Package to Improve the Effectiveness of Descriptive Assessment Data. Behav Analysis Practice 16, 232–250 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00717-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00717-5