Instruction in Functional Assessment, 2014a

Instruction in Functional Assessment Chapter 3
Table 14
Example of a preference assessment procedure
1. Identify 5-8 items that you think the individual might prefer based on interviews
with that person or people in that person’s life or from observations of activities that
the individual engages in most frequently.
2. Design a data sheet that lists all possible pairs of the items and alternate the sides that
each item is presented on to counterbalance side preferences the individual might
display e.g., A B and B A
3. Sitting at a desk or table, present each pair of items approximately 2 ft apart from
each other and 1 ft in front of the person, making sure the person’s hands are not near
either item so that a clear test of what the person selects can be made.
4. Wait 5 s for the person to pick one. Do not provide any praise because this may affect
the person’s choice on subsequent trials. Allow 5 s to manipulate the item.
5. Once all pairs have been presented, calculate the percent each item was selected by
counting the number of times each item was selected by the person and dividing by
the total number of times it was presented and multiplying by 100.
6. Rank order the items from most to least preferred and use the most preferred items
for training purposes.
Note: If the person has never had the item before, allow the person to ‘sample’ the item before
the preference assessment is conducted.
Note: Preferences will vary from time to time and so conducting a brief preference assessment
before every training session will ensure that your preference-based procedures are maximally
effective.
Reinforcers may vary in their effectiveness in increasing desired behavior depending on
whether the individual has had recent access to them (North & Iwata, 2005; McGinnis,
Houchins-Juárez, McDaniel, & Kennedy, 2010). Motivating conditions, such as SATIATION
(having too much of something) or DEPRIVATION (having too little of something), can alter
the probability of behavior that leads to that reinforcer (Michael, 2000). For example, you
really liked a particular song when it first came out and used to change the station to locate
it, but now that it has been playing on the radio for several weeks, you no longer enjoy
listening to it. Instead, you turn to another station to avoid having to listen to it one more
time. Likewise, if a child, who typically is disruptive in a certain class to garner the attention
of his peers is provided with ample social interaction with peers prior to that class, he may
not engage in the disruptive behavior to achieve the same ends.
Through use of an FA approach, the reinforcer maintaining the challenging behavior
can be identified. Once it is known what that reinforcer is, it can be incorporated into a behavior
intervention program to increase desired behavior. However, as Carter (2010) found
with an adult male being treated for escape maintained noncompliance, a highly preferred
positive reinforcer may also reduce that behavior even without the use of extinction (no
longer providing the negative reinforcer).
DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT procedures can be used to eliminate or decrease the individual’s
challenging behavior. This type of reinforcement schedule, or rule when to provide
reinforcement, consists of the application of both positive reinforcement and extinction
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