This paper presents a brief introduction to the historical development of functional analysis as an important pretreatment assessment and analysis strategy for treating academic and social behavior problems. Studies considered to be seminal or influential are reviewed to highlight the historical and contemporary refinement of functional analysis methodologies. Conclusions are presented in terms of functional analysis' conceptual and methodological impact on behavioral assessment and treatment, and its advancement into various human service sectors concerned with the care of individuals with special needs.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Baer, D.M., Wolf, M.M., & Risley, T.R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.
2.
Bijou, S.W. (1970). What psychology has to offer education-Now. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 3, 65-71.
3.
Bijou, S.W., Peterson, R.F., & Ault, M.H. (1968). A method to integrate descriptive and experimental field studies at the level of data and empirical concepts. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 175-191.
4.
Carr, E.G. (1977). The motivation of self-injurious behavior: A review of some hypotheses. Psychological Bullztin, 84, 800-816.
5.
Carr, E.G. (1994). Emerging themes in the functional analysis of behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 393-399.
6.
Carr, E.G., & Durand, V.M. (1985). Reducing problem behavior through functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 111-126.
7.
Carr, E.G., Newsom, C.D., & Binkoff, J.A. ( 1980). Escape as a factor in the aggressive behavior of two retarded children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 101-117.
8.
Carr, E.G., Robinson, S., & Palumbo, L.W. (1990). The wrong issue: Aversive versus nonaversive treatment. The right issue: Functional versus non functional treatment. In A.C. Repp & N.N. Singh (Eds.), Perspectives on the use of nonaversive and aversive interventions for persons with developmental disabilities (pp. 361-379). Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Publishing.
9.
Cooper, L.J., Wacker, D.P., Sasso, G.M., Reimers, T.M., & Donn, L.K. (1990). Using parents to assess the appropriate behavior of their children: Application to a tertiary diagnostic clinic. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 285-296.
10.
Cowdery, G.E., Iwata, B.A., & Pace, G.M. (1990). Effects and side effects of DRO as treatment for self-injurious behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis , 23, 497-506.
11.
Deitz, S.M. (1978). Current status of applied behavior analysis: Science versus technology. American Psychologist, 33, 805-814.
12.
Deitz, S.M. (1982). Defining applied behavior analysis: An historical analogy. The Behavior analyst, 5, 53-64.
13.
Dunlap, G., Kem-Dunlap, L., Clarke, S., & Robbins, F.R. (1991). Functional assessment, curricular revision, and severe behavior problems. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis , 24, 387-397.
14.
Durand, V.M. (1987). "Look homeward angel." A call to return to our functional roots. The Behavior Analyst, 10, 299-302.
15.
Durand, V.M., & Carr, E.G. (1987). Social influences on "self-stimulatory" behavior: Analysis and treatment application. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20, 119-132.
16.
Durand, V.M., & Carr, E.G. (1991). Functional communication training to reduce challenging behavior: Maintenance and application in new settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 254-265.
17.
Durand, V.M., & Crimmins, D.B. (1988). Identifying the variables maintaining self-injurious behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18, 99-117.
18.
Durand, V.M., Crimmins, D.B., Caulfield, M., & Taylor, J. (1989). Reinforcer assessment I: Using problem behavior to select reinforcers. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 14, 113-126.
19.
Fisher, W., Piazza, C., Cataldo, M., Harrell, R., Jefferson, G., & Conner, R. (1993). Functional communication training with and without extinction and punishment. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis , 26, 23-36.
20.
Haring, T.G., & Kennedy, C.H. (1990). Contextual control of problem behavior in students with severe disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis , 23, 235-243.
21.
Hawkins, R.P. (1979). The function of assessment: Implications for selection and development of devices for assessing repertoires in clinical, educational, and other settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 501-516.
22.
Hayes, S.C., Nelson, R., & Jarrett, R. (1987). The treatment utility of assessment: A functional approach to evaluating assessment quality. American Psychologist , 42, 963-974.
23.
Hayes, S.C., Rincover, A., & Solnick, J.V. (1980). The technical drift of applied behavior analysis . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 275-285.
24.
Homer, R.H. (1994). Functional assessment: Contributions and future directions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 401-404.
25.
Homer, R.H., & Day, H.M. (1991). The effects of response efficiency on functionally equivalent competing behaviors. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 719-732.
26.
Homer, R.H., Day, H.M., Sprague, J.R., O'Brien, M., & Heathfield, L.T. (1991). Interspersed requests: A nonaversive procedure for reducing aggression and self-injury during instruction . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 265-278.
27.
Homer, R.H., Sprague, J.R., O'Brien, M., & Heathfield, L.T. (1990). The role of response efficiency in the reduction of problem behaviors through functional equivalence training: A case study. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 15, 91-97.
28.
Iwata, B.A. (1988). The development and adoption of controversial default technologies. The Behavior Analyst, 11, 149-157.
29.
Iwata, B.A. (1994). Functional analysis methodology: Some closing comments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 413-418.
30.
Iwata, B.A., Dorsey, M.F., Slifer, K.J., Bauman, K.E., & Richman, G.S. (1982). Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 2, 3-20.
31.
Iwata, B.A., Pace, G.M., Kalsher, M.J., Cowdery, G.E., & Cataldo, M.F. (1990). Experimental analysis and extinction of self-injurious escape behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 11-27.
32.
Iwata, B.A., Vollmer, T.R., & Zarcone, J.R. (1990). The experimental (functional) analysis of behavior disorders: Methodology, applications, and limitations. In A.C. Repp & N.N. Singh (Eds.), Perspectives on the use of nonaversive and aversive interventions for persons with developmental disabilities (pp. 301-330). Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Press.
33.
Kazdin, A.E. (1978). History of behavior modification: Experimental foundations of contemporary research. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.
34.
Laties, V.G., & Mace, F.C. (1993). Taking stock: The first 25 years of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 513-525.
35.
Lewis, T.J. (1994). A comparative analysis of the effects of social skills training and teacher-directed contingencies on social behavior of preschool children with disabilities. Journal of Behavioral Education , 4, 267-281.
36.
Lewis, T.J., & Sugai, G.M. (1993). Teaching communicative alternatives to socially withdrawn behavior: An investigation in maintaining treatment effects. Journal of Behavioral Education, 3, 61-75.
37.
Lewis, T.J., & Sugai, G.M. (1994). Descriptive and experimental analysis of teacher and peer attention and the use of assessment based intervention to improve the pro-social behavior of a student in a general education setting. Unpublished manuscript. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon.
38.
Mace, F.C. (1994). The significance and future of functional analysis methodologies. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 385-392.
39.
Mace, F.C., & Knight, D. (1986). Functional analysis and treatment of severe pica . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19, 411-416.
40.
Mace F.C., & Lalli, J.S. (1991). Linking descriptive and experimental analyses in the treatment of bizarre speech. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 553-562.
41.
Mace, F.C., Lalli, J.S., & Pinter-Lalli, E. (1991). Functional analysis and treatment of aberrant behavior. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 12, 155-180.
42.
Mace, F.C., Page, J.J., Ivancic, M.T., & O'Brian, S. (1986). Analysis of environmental determinants of aggression and disruption in mentally retarded children. Applied Research in Mental Retardation, 7, 203-221.
43.
Mace, F.C., Webb, M.E., Sharkey, R.W., Mattson, D.M., & Rosen, H.S. (1988). Functional analysis and treatment of bizarre speech . Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry , 19, 714-721.
Nelson, R.O., & Hayes, S.C. (1979). The nature of behavioral assessment: A commentary . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 491-500.
46.
Northup, J., Wacker, D., Sasso, G., Steege, M., Cigrand, K., Cook, J., & DeRaad, A. (1991). A brief functional analysis of aggressive and alternative behavior in an outclinic setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 509-522.
47.
Pierce, W.D., & Epling, W.F. (1980). What happened to analysis in applied behavior analysis? The Behavior Analyst, 3, 1-9.
48.
Repp, A. (1994). comments on functional analysis procedures for school-based behavior problems. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 409-411.
49.
Repp, A.C., Felce, D., & Barton, L.E. (1988). Basing the treatment of stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors on hypotheses of their causes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 281-289.
50.
Repp, A.C., & Singh, N.N. (Eds.). (1990). Perspectives on the use of nonaversive and aversive interventions' for persons with developmental disabilities. Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Press.
51.
Skinner, B.F. (1966). What is the experimental analysis of behavior ? Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 9, 213-218.
52.
Skinner, B.F. (1977). Why I am not a cognitive psychologist. Behaviorism, 5, 1-10.
53.
Steege, M.W., Wacker, D.P., Berg, W.K., Cigrand, K.C., & Cooper, L.J. (1989). The use of behavioral assessment to prescribe and evaluate treatments for severely handicapped children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 23-33.
54.
Steege, M.W., Wacker, D.P., Cigrand, K.C., Berg, W.K., Novak, C.G., Reimers, T.M., Sasso, G.M., & DeRaad, A. (1990). Use of negative reinforcement in the treatment of self-injurious behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 459-467.
55.
Sugai, G.M., Maheady, L., & Skouge, J. (1989). Best assessment practices for students with behavior disorders: Accommodation to cultural diversity and individual differences . Behavioral Disorder, 14, 263-278.
56.
Vargas, J. (1977). Behavioral psychology for teachers. New York: Harper & Row.
57.
Vollmer, T.R., Iwata, B.A., Smith, R.G., & Rodgers, T.A. (1992). Reduction of multiple aberrant behaviors and concurrent development of self-care skills with differential reinforcement. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 13, 287-299.
58.
Vollmer, T.R., Iwata, B.A., Zarcone, J.R., Smith, R.G., & Mazaleski, J.L. (1993). The role of attention in the treatment of attention-maintained self-injurious behavior: Noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement of other behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 9-21.
59.
Wacker, D.P., Berg, W.K., Cooper, L.J., Derby, K.M., Steege, M.W., Northup, J., & Sasso, G. (1994). The impact of functional analysis methodology on outpatient clinic services. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 405-407.
60.
Wacker, D.P., Steege, M.W., Northup, J., Sasso, G., Berg, W., Reimers, T., Cooper, L., Cigrand, K., & Donn, L. (1990). A component analysis of functional communication training across three topographies of severe behavior problems. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 417-429.
61.
Walker, H.M., & Fabre, T.R. (1987). Assessment of behavior disorders in the school setting: Issues, problems, and strategies revisited. In N. Haring (Ed.), Assessing and managing behavior disabilities (pp. 198-243). Seattle: University of Washington Press.
62.
Wolery, M., Bailey, D.B., & Sugai, G.M. (1988). Effective teaching: Principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis with exceptional students. Needham, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
63.
Wolf, M.M. (1978). Social validity: The case for subjective measurement or how applied behavior analysis is finding its heart. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 203-214.
64.
Wolf, M.M. (1993). Remembrances of issues past: Celebrating JABA's 25th anniversary. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 543-544.
65.
Ysseldyke, J.E., Algozzine, B., & Thurlow, M.L. (1992). Critical issues in special education (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
