Carr, E. G., Yarbrough, S. C., & Langdon, N. A. (1997).
Effects of idiosyncratic stimulus variables on functional analysis outcomes.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
30, 673-686.
As the methods for the functional analysis of problem behavior
have continued to develop, there has been a greater focus on the
specificity of controlling variables, both antecedents and
consequences. Accelerating research interest in the role of
antecedents reveals that a large array of stimulus variables can
influence the rate of problem behavior. Indeed, the variety of
these stimuli is so great that it is sometimes possible to
overlook specific stimulus variables during initial assessment.
The present study shows that a failure to identify these very
specific (idiosyncratic) stimulus variables is serious because
their presence can systematically alter the outcomes of
functional analyses that are designed to assess the motivation of
problem behavior. Guidelines are therefore discussed concerning
when to suspect that idiosyncratic stimuli might be acting to
influence assessment data, thereby promoting a search for
additional stimulus variables whose identification can aid in
improving the design of functional analysis conditions.
DESCRIPTORS: functional analysis, stimulus control, problem
behavior, developmental disabilities