Hanna C. Rue

Date of Award

8-20-2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Alan King

Abstract

Functional behavioral assessment is a set of data collection techniques utilized to identify the environmental variables maintaining a maladaptive behavior. The current study evaluated a training protocol in which educators learned to use direct methods of functional behavioral assessment. Educators recorded A-B-C (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) data, developed hypotheses regarding the function of the behavior, calculated conditional probabilities, and identified functional interventions. Participant's accurate recording of A-B-C data and accurate analysis of the data served as the dependent measure. Ten teachers from a private school participated in the study. A multiple-baseline design across groups of participants provided assessment of skill acquisition during baseline and training phases. During baseline and training phases, participants watched videotaped scenarios depicting a student displaying disruptive behaviors in a classroom setting. Participants recorded A-B-C data as they watched the videotapes. Participants then analyzed the A-B-C data. The number of opportunities to record and analyze data varied during the baseline phase. Following the baseline phase, participants attended to a training presentation and received verbal performance feedback. The baseline phase provided an indication as to whether or not repeated practice was sufficient to increase accuracy of participant's recording and analysis of A-B-C data. The training phase provided a measure of the effect of the training presentation and verbal performance feedback. The main hypothesis stated that participants require verbal performance feedback to achieve 95% accurate recording and analysis of A-B-C data. The results of the current study supported the hypothesis. During baseline, most participants did not exceed 95% accuracy when recording A-B-C data. Seven participants achieved at least 95% accuracy when recording A-B-C data following training. There are limitations of the current study. First, it may be difficult for public schools to provide individualized training to teachers. Second, data collection following the training presentation and verbal feedback was limited to two data points. The results of the current study provide empirical support to the effectiveness of verbal performance feedback in training participants to collect functional assessment data.

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