Functional analysis results across a known and unknown assessor

Abstract

Functional analyses determine behavior function by examining response patterns across various contingency conditions. Typically, functional analyses are conducted by a trained clinician with whom the participant is often unfamiliar. This unfamiliarity might influence the outcome of the analysis, potentially leading to misidentification of function. This study examined the responding of two participants during functional analyses conducted by a known and unknown assessor. The influence of familiarity was initially observed across both participants; however, with extended exposure to the functional analysis responding became similar across assessors for both participants. Importantly, different conclusions regarding function may be drawn at various points during the analysis. These findings are discussed with regard to the influence of participant–assessor history and recommendations are provided regarding conducting a functional analysis.

Publication Title

European Journal of Behavior Analysis

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