Romaniuk, C., Miltenberger, R., Conyers, C., Jenner, N., Jurgens, M., & Ringenberg, C. (2002).
The influence of activity choice on problem behaviors maintained by escape versus attention.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
35, 349-362.
This study assessed whether the function of an individual's
problem behavior was related to the effectiveness of an
intervention involving choice among tasks. Analogue functional
analyses were conducted with 7 students with various diagnoses to
determine whether problem behaviors were maintained by escape or
attention. Following identification of the function of each
student's problem behavior, reversal designs were used to assess
the effectiveness of an intervention that allowed the students to
choose their own instructional tasks. Results showed that
students who displayed escape-maintained problem behavior showed
substantial reductions in such behavior when they were provided
with opportunities to choose among tasks. On the other hand,
students who displayed attention-maintained problem behavior did
not show any effects as a result of the choice intervention.
These findings are discussed in terms of the effective use of
behavior management programs involving choice and the reduction
of problem behavior.
DESCRIPTORS: _choice, functional analysis, problem behavior, children