Jennifer McComas, Timothy Moore, Norm Dahl, Ellie Hartman, John Hoch, & Frank Symons. (2009).
Calculating contingencies in natural environments: Issues in the application of sequential analysis.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
42, 413-423.
Analysis and interpretation of behavior–environment relations are increasingly
being conducted with data that have been derived descriptively. This paper provides
an overview of the logic that underlies a sequential analytic approach to the analysis
of descriptive data. Several methods for quantifying sequential relations are
reviewed along with their strengths and weaknesses. Data from descriptive
analyses are used to illustrate key points. Issues germane to contingency analysis
in natural environments are discussed briefly. It is concluded that the conceptual
distinctions among contiguity, contingency, and dependency are critical if the
logic of sequential analysis is to be extended successfully to a behavior–analytic
account of reinforcement in natural environments.
DESCRIPTORS: descriptive analysis, quantitative analysis, sequential analysis