Fisher, W. W., Adelinis, J. D., Thompson, R. H., Worsdell, A. S., & Zarcone, J. R. (1998).
Functional analysis and treatment of destructive behavior maintained by termination of "don't" (and symmetrical "do") requests.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
31, 339-356.
We used descriptive assessment information to generate hypotheses
regarding the function of destructive behavior for 2 individuals
who displayed near-zero rates of problem behavior during an
experimental functional analysis using methods similar to Iwata,
Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994). The descriptive
data suggested that destructive behavior occurred primarily when
caregivers issued requests to the participants that interfered
with ongoing high-probability (and presumably highly preferred)
behaviors (i.e., a "don't" or a symmetrical
"do" request). Subsequent experimental analyses showed
that destructive behavior was maintained by contingent
termination of "don't" and symmetrical "do"
requests but not by termination of topographically similar
"do" requests. These results suggested that destructive
behavior may have been maintained by positive reinforcement
(i.e., termination of the "don't" request allowed the
individual to return to a highly preferred activity). Finally, a
treatment (functional communication training plus extinction)
developed on the basis of these analyses reduced destructive
behavior to near-zero levels.
DESCRIPTORS: aggression, descriptive assessment, "do"
and"don't" requests, functional analysis, property
destruction, response—response relations, stereotypy