In a functional analysis, what is the name of the condition in which the therapist provides attention after problem behavior?

In a functional analysis, what is the name of the condition in which the therapist provides attention after problem behavior?

• A. Attention condition
• B. Escape condition
• C. Tangible condition
• D. Alone condition

Answer: (A)

In functional analysis, we test which consequence reinforces a problem behavior. When the therapist provides attention after the problem behavior, that is the attention condition. The idea is to see if social attention acts as the reinforcer: if the behavior increases when attention is given after it, attention is maintaining the behavior. This is different from the escape condition (where the consequence is escaping from demands), the tangible condition (access to a preferred item), or the alone condition (minimal or no social interaction). So the correct term for this setup is the attention condition.

In functional analysis, we test which consequence reinforces a problem behavior. When the therapist provides attention after the problem behavior, that is the attention condition. The idea is to see if social attention acts as the reinforcer: if the behavior increases when attention is given after it, attention is maintaining the behavior. This is different from the escape condition (where the consequence is escaping from demands), the tangible condition (access to a preferred item), or the alone condition (minimal or no social interaction). So the correct term for this setup is the attention condition.