Andrew L. Samaha, Timothy R. Vollmer, Carrie Borrero,
Kimberly Sloman, Claire St. Peter Pipkin, & Jason Bourret. (2009).
Analyses of response–stimulus sequences in descriptive observations.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
42, 447-468.
Descriptive observations were conducted to record problem behavior
displayed by participants and to record antecedents and consequences
delivered by caregivers. Next, functional analyses were conducted to
identify reinforcers for problem behavior. Then, using data from the
descriptive observations, lag–sequential analyses were conducted to
examine changes in the probability of environmental events across time
in relation to occurrences of problem behavior. The results of the lag–sequential
analyses were interpreted in light of the results of functional analyses. Results
suggested that events identified as reinforcers in a functional analysis followed
behavior in idiosyncratic ways: after a range of delays and frequencies. Thus,
it is possible that naturally occurring reinforcement contingencies are arranged in
ways different from those typically evaluated in applied research. Further, these
complex response–stimulus relations can be represented by lag–sequential
analyses. However, limitations to the lag–sequential analysis are evident.
DESCRIPTORS: conditional probability, descriptive analysis, developmental disabilities,
lag–sequential analysis