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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Reducing A Dog’S Problem Behavior Using Functional Communication Training: A Case Study, Audrey Blunt, Robbie Hanson
Reducing A Dog’S Problem Behavior Using Functional Communication Training: A Case Study, Audrey Blunt, Robbie Hanson
Theses
Many dogs are relinquished to animal shelters and subsequently euthanized each year due to problem behaviors, such as excessive barking (ASPCA, n.d.). Unfortunately, punishment-based procedures (e.g., bark collars) have been commonly used to reduce these behaviors, despite negative side-effects such as escape and aggression. Functional communication training (FCT) involves teaching a replacement behavior that is functionally equivalent to the problem behavior and is a documented strategy to reduce problem behaviors in humans (e.g., Carr & Durand, 1985). In the current study, one 11-month old dog who had a history of whining, mouthing, and pawing was taught to mand (request) for …
An Overview Of Functional Communication Training For Registered Behavior Technicians, Christopher Dollinger
An Overview Of Functional Communication Training For Registered Behavior Technicians, Christopher Dollinger
Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education
Functional Communication Training (FCT) is an intervention involving the differential reinforcement of an alternative response (DRA), in which an appropriate communicative response (e.g., asking for a break) is reinforced while the behavior targeted for decrease (e.g., hitting to get out of work) has reinforcement withheld in its presence. Individuals who work as registered behavior technicians (RBT), under the supervision of a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), may implement FCT daily. With that being said, many individuals who choose to work as an RBT may not have as deep of an understanding of the concepts and principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) …
Mitigating Resurgence In Functional Communication Training: Teaching Varied And Complex Responses, Charlene N. Agnew
Mitigating Resurgence In Functional Communication Training: Teaching Varied And Complex Responses, Charlene N. Agnew
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Functional communication training (FCT) is a commonly used intervention for treating problem behavior wherein the reinforcers contributing to problem behavior are (a) identified through functional analysis and (b) then provided contingent on an alternative communication response. However, following successful teaching of an FCR, resurgence of problem behavior may occur in natural settings when the FCR is exposed to intentional or unintentional extinction conditions. We investigated teaching a second FCR following initial FCT, in one of two forms (varied topography or increased complexity) as a method for reducing resurgence of problem behavior. In order to account for history of reinforcement, we …
Using Brief Session Duration During Functional Analysis To Inform The Treatment Of Problem Behavior In 13 Consecutive Cases, Theresa Fiani
Using Brief Session Duration During Functional Analysis To Inform The Treatment Of Problem Behavior In 13 Consecutive Cases, Theresa Fiani
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Functional analyses allow a clinician to identify causal relations between environmental stimuli and problem behavior. Recent developments in functional analysis methodology have been devoted to creating practical procedures that can be conducted in a brief period of time. However, the extent to which improvements in analytic efficiency affect treatment outcomes have yet to be fully explored. We conducted a consecutive case series with 13 individuals who exhibited problem behavior. The participants experienced a comprehensive assessment and treatment program beginning with a functional analysis using 3-min sessions and ending with functional communication training and delay/denial tolerance training. Results demonstrated near elimination …
Sustaining Behavior Reduction By Transitioning The Topography Of The Functional Communication Response During Fct, Kayla R. Randall
Sustaining Behavior Reduction By Transitioning The Topography Of The Functional Communication Response During Fct, Kayla R. Randall
Theses & Dissertations
Initial rates of destructive behavior tend to be lower when behavior analysts select functional communication responses (FCRs) they can physically guide (e.g., a card-touch FCR). However, destructive behavior may recur at higher rates when FCR materials go missing than when the FCR no longer produces reinforcement. In Experiment 1, we extended prior research by demonstrating less resurgence of target responding when a vocal FCR remained available but no longer produced reinforcement compared to a condition in which neither the alternative response nor reinforcement was available. In contrast to these findings, Experiment 2 replicated other prior research showing that the ability …
Mand Training And Prompt Fading: Teaching Yes-No Manding, Jessica M. Kelly
Mand Training And Prompt Fading: Teaching Yes-No Manding, Jessica M. Kelly
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Language is a collection of verbal skills which allows the speaker to have some control over how others interact with them. Saying the words “yes” and “no” are fundamental language abilities; The words impact the speaker’s environment by communicating acceptance or rejection of stimuli and experiences. Caregivers, teachers, and friends may have to make choices for an individual who cannot respond to yes-no questions. This skill deficit deprives the individual of autonomy and can lead to challenging behaviors occurring in place of clear communication. Applied Behavior Analysis offers techniques to teach language skills such as saying “yes” and “no” in …
Evaluating The Use Of Competing Items In A Multiple Schedule During Reinforcement Schedule Thinning, Scott A. Miller
Evaluating The Use Of Competing Items In A Multiple Schedule During Reinforcement Schedule Thinning, Scott A. Miller
Theses & Dissertations
Multiple schedules are schedules of reinforcement that are often used to facilitate more manageable rates of a replacement behavior such as a communication response following functional communication training as an intervention for destructive behavior. Commonly, reinforcement schedule thinning involves multiple fading steps that can take more than 100 sessions to achieve therapeutic goals. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate a method for rapidly achieving fading steps in a multiple schedule by including competing items during the extinction interval. Four children diagnosed with autism successfully reached the terminal extinction interval with a ≥80% reduction in problem behavior. Two of …
Efficacy Of Module-Based Functional Communication Caregiver Training For Moderate To Severe Problem Behavior, Lauren A. Phillips
Efficacy Of Module-Based Functional Communication Caregiver Training For Moderate To Severe Problem Behavior, Lauren A. Phillips
Theses & Dissertations
Intensive behavior-analytic services typically reduce behavior problems associated with autism spectrum disorder. However, there are substantial barriers to access these services, including access to behavior analysts who can conduct the training. One way to address problem behavior and barriers to services is to train caregivers to implement function-based interventions to produce sustained improvements in child behavior. We developed a computer-based module (i.e., an e-learning module) to train caregivers to implement functional communication training, a function-based intervention, with extinction and safety procedures. Caregivers conducted a functional analysis to determine the function of their child’s behavior. During baseline, caregivers responded as they …
Using Functional Communication Training With Extinction To Reduce Attention-Maintained Problem Behavior: A Novel Application To A Spanish-Speaking Family With English-Speaking Therapists, Roger Kyle Caldwell
Using Functional Communication Training With Extinction To Reduce Attention-Maintained Problem Behavior: A Novel Application To A Spanish-Speaking Family With English-Speaking Therapists, Roger Kyle Caldwell
Theses and Dissertations
Functional communication training (FCT) is a well-established treatment for problem behavior that involves arranging extinction for undesirable responses and providing reinforcement for an appropriate communicative response. However, language barriers between the therapist and the client’s caregivers may inhibit the efficacy of this intervention and solutions to these language barriers have not been discussed in the research literature. The current study replicated functional analysis and FCT procedures with a child with autism and Down syndrome presenting with severe aggressive behavior whose parents were native Spanish speakers with limited English proficiency. We detail our process and procedural modifications made to address these …
Evaluation Of Multiple Schedules With Naturally Occurring And Contrived Discriminative Stimuli Following Functional Communication Training, Kenneth D. Shamlian Psyd
Evaluation Of Multiple Schedules With Naturally Occurring And Contrived Discriminative Stimuli Following Functional Communication Training, Kenneth D. Shamlian Psyd
All Student Scholarship
The purpose of this dissertation is to describe a doctoral research study designed to compare use of contrived and naturally occurring discriminative stimuli when using multiple schedules to thin reinforcement following functional communication training and their subsequent efficacy when introduced to novel contexts. Results indicated for one participant training with contrived stimuli was most effective, both contrived and naturally occurring stimuli were similarly effective for a second, and further modifications of a) pairing specific therapists to training conditions and, (b) adding toys during EXT components were necessary for either training condition to be effective for a third. For one participant, …
Extending The Functional Behavioral Assessment Process: A Methodology For Test-Driving Interventions With Varied Choice Dimensions To Reduce Escape-Maintained Behaviors Displayed By Youth With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jamie Laura Pratt Psyd
All Student Scholarship
The benefits of extending the traditional functional behavioral assessment (FBA) process to include brief experimental comparisons between potential interventions were explored. After FBA interview and functional analysis (FA) data converged to suggest that the problem behaviors displayed by 2 youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) were maintained by escape from task demands, the youth participated in brief intervention analyses to evaluate the relative effectiveness of functional communication training (FCT) and noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) interventions with varied choice dimensions. Results of the brief intervention analyses, which were highly idiosyncratic, were used to guide the selection of a treatment for implementation …
The Effects Of Signals On Responding During Delayed Reinforcement, Michael E. Kelley
The Effects Of Signals On Responding During Delayed Reinforcement, Michael E. Kelley
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Functional communication training (FCT) is a commonly used intervention for severe behavior disorders (e.g., Carr & Durand, 1985; Wacker et al., 1990). This treatment is designed to provide individuals with developmental disabilities with a repertoire of responses to attain reinforcement. However, caregivers may be unable or unwilling to provide immediate reinforcement when the treatment is implemented in the natural environment. Recent applied research on responding during delayed reinforcement suggests that responding may not persist when delays exceed 30 s (e.g., Fisher, Thompson, Hagopian, Bowman, & Krug, 2000; Hanley, Iwata, & Thompson, 2001). In contrast, results of basic research suggest that …