Part 1
The four functions of behavior include attention seeking, escape, tangibles, and automatic. Attention occurs when people seek immediate attention from others. It can be a positive reinforce when people whose behavior is maintained by attention promotes key traits and talents. Problem behavior occurs when one forcefully desires to gain attention from others. They can show behavior like aggression, self-injurious behavior, or property destruction just for attention. Behavior with escape functions means that the behavior aims at removing and terminating aversive events.
Tangible reinforcement behaviors are caused by access to tangibles. Behavior is positively reinforced by the receipt of objects and opportunities to engage in activities. Automatic reinforcement occurs because the reinforcing functions are usually tied to sensory receptors. The feeling of endorphins or relaxations can cause an event to be made regular.
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The behavior function that appears to be most relevant in this case is attention seeking. Dave has been seeking immediate attention from others leading him to be extremely disruptive in math and reading classes. Dave likes other teachers because he gets the attention he deserves once they talk to him. However, his math and reading teachers give him work, do not talk to him well but argue all the time. Dave thus interrupts and is disruptive in the class in order to get the teacher’s attention.
Part 2
Direct descriptive functional behavior assessment deals with a direct observation of the behavior. Observations are made in the naturally occurring conditions. It involves a general assessment of the problem in relation to events which are not arranged in any systematic manner. The observer would watch the client as they engage in activities in their natural environment. Once the challenging behavior occurs, the observer would record what happened before and after.
Examples of direct assessment methods include ABC continuous recording and scatterplots. For the case study, ABC continuous recording of the disruptive behavior of the child during in the classroom. A data sheet would be created and the disruptive behavior recorded every time it occurs. The advantage of this type of assessment is that it uses precise measures, provides useful contextual information and does not require disruption of the individual’s routine. The downside to this method is that it can be difficult to detect correlations between particular events and the main behavior (Cooper et al., 2007).
Scatterplots would be used to record whether the event occurs at more times compared to others. When observing the child, the scatterplot would be divided in various times of the day and the observer uses different symbols to indicate whether the child disrupted the classroom or not. The advantage of this type of assessment is that it identifies the time period for which the problem occurs. The disadvantage is that obtaining accurate data and making final conclusions based on the data alone can be difficult.
Indirect functional assessments involve the use of interviews and behavior rating scales. The indirect assessment does not involve direct observation but rather gets information based on other people’s recollection of behavior. Behavior interviews will be used in the case study by interviewing the teachers and parents about the student’s disruption. The interview will include questions and clarifications about the description of the behavior, the time it occurs, the setting, and the people involved (Cooper et al., 2007).
Behavior rating scale will be used to ask the informants, the teachers and parents, the extent which the behavior occurs in specific conditions. Conditions for the study will include the reading and math classes, and at home. Conditions when the behavior occurs a lot would be associated with the condition. The advantage with indirect observation is that it is convenient because it does not require direct observation that takes time. It can also provide useful information that leads to the formation of the hypothesis. The drawback with using indirect assessment is that informants may not have reliable information and could be biased during the interview.
The parent’s role in the assessment process will be in providing information in the interviews and the setting. The parent would provide information whether Dave’s disruptive behavior occurs at home. They would also provide information on the time and the setting when the disruptive behavior occurs. The parent plays a big role in the interviews and behavior rating scale as they interact with the child on a daily basis.
Part 3
The problem with the teacher’s assessment of the behavior is that they provide a general assessment of the disruption and blamed it on the student. When defining target behavior, multiple behaviors should first be identified. The behavior should then be rated against key questions such as frequency, the potential for reinforcement, frequency, and relative danger. Once the behavior has been identified, it should be carefully and completely defined in measurable and observable terms.
The teachers did not follow any of the methods described. Instead, they arrived at the general outward behavior of the student is disruptive. The teachers’ description may impact direct behavior assessment by causing bias of the observer. The teachers described the child as always into something instead of working and always interrupting the class. Upon hearing that, the observer could be biased to the teacher’s opinions and fail to identify the real problem of attention that the child faces.
Part 4
The ethical guidelines for behavior observation include honesty, professional competency, integrity, public safety, fairness, objectivity, and confidentiality. The guidelines indicate that the behavior analyst should use behavior assessment for purposes that are appropriate for research. Medical consultation should be sought if the assessment may have a medical side effect.
Ethical obligations include; the assessment recommendations, reports, and evaluative statements should be sufficient to provide substantiation for their finds. The behavior analyst should refrain from the misuse of assessment techniques, interventions and take steps to prevent others from misusing the information. The behavioral analyst should also recognize the limits which judgments and predictions can be made about individuals. The behavioral analyst should not promote the use of behavioral assessment techniques by unqualified persons who are unsupervised by experienced professionals and have not demonstrated valid and reliable assessment skills (Baily and Burch, 2016).
For the case study, one ethical observation to consider would be the use of assessment techniques by individuals that have not portrayed reliable and valid assessment skills. The teachers did not demonstrate reliable and valid assessment skills when observing the child. The behavioral analyst could thus not rely on information provided by the teachers.
References
Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2016). Ethics for behavior analysts . Routledge.
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis.
