Document Type
Dissertation
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Degree
PhD in Behavior Analysis
Dissertation Defense Date
2018
First Committee Member
Hanley, Gregory P.
Second Committee Member
Pinkston, Jonathan W.
Third Committee Member
Roscoe, Eileen M.
Additional Committee Member(s)
Thompson, Rachel H.
Abstract
"Persons with autism often engage in multiple topographies of problem behavior. Conducting functional analyses of each form as recommended by Hanley, Iwata, and McCord (2003) may be too time consuming. As an alternative, we progressively applied procedural extinction in test conditions that were differentiated from their control conditions to determine response class membership of multiple topographies of problem behavior. During interview-informed and synthesized test conditions, all reported problem behaviors were initially reinforced for ten consecutive participants. The progressive application of procedural extinction, based on the procedures described by Magee and Ellis (2000), was then implemented during which problem behavior types were sequentially placed on extinction for five participants. Expedited or brief extinction analyses were conducted with the remaining participants in which all but the most concerning topography of problem behavior were placed on extinction. Results showed that for nine out of ten participants the most concerning topographies were evoked and maintained by the same contingencies as the less severe forms of problem behavior (results were inconclusive for one). We highlight the conditions under which a progressive, expedited, or brief extinction analysis should be considered when functionally analyzing multiple topographies of problem behavior."
Recommended Citation
Warner, Christine A., "Progressive applications of extinction procedures to assess response class membership of multiple topogrohphies of problem behavior" (2018). Doctoral Dissertations - College of Arts and Sciences. 66.
https://digitalcommons.law.wne.edu/casdissertations/66
