In a functional analysis, what is the name of the condition where the therapist is not present in the room and no programmed consequence after problem behavior?

In a functional analysis, what is the name of the condition where the therapist is not present in the room and no programmed consequence after problem behavior?

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

Answer: (D)

In a functional analysis, the goal is to see what maintains a problem behavior by testing different contingencies. The described setup removes all social consequences: the therapist isn’t in the room and no programmed consequence follows the behavior. That means the behavior, if it occurs here, isn’t reinforced by another person’s attention, escape from tasks, or access to tangibles, pointing to automatic reinforcement (the behavior is intrinsically rewarding). If problem behavior occurs in this Alone condition, it suggests the behavior may be maintained by sensory or automatic reinforcement rather than by social consequences. The other conditions test for social reinforcement: attention, tangible access, or escape from demands, which is why they’re not appropriate for the described scenario.

In a functional analysis, the goal is to see what maintains a problem behavior by testing different contingencies. The described setup removes all social consequences: the therapist isn’t in the room and no programmed consequence follows the behavior. That means the behavior, if it occurs here, isn’t reinforced by another person’s attention, escape from tasks, or access to tangibles, pointing to automatic reinforcement (the behavior is intrinsically rewarding). If problem behavior occurs in this Alone condition, it suggests the behavior may be maintained by sensory or automatic reinforcement rather than by social consequences. The other conditions test for social reinforcement: attention, tangible access, or escape from demands, which is why they’re not appropriate for the described scenario.