Behavioral Assessment of Procrastination: Initial Steps and Functional Analysis

1. Behavior modification 3rd Class Functional assessment

2. Today‘s task • Carry out the first steps of Behavioral Assessment of PROCRASTINATION (counterproductive postponing of tasks to later time) • Define the current and target behavior (how you know it) • Perform Functional analysis • Stick to ABC format - generate as much as possible As and Cs

3. Behavioral assessment – typical steps

4. Functional assessment - steps • Gather information via indirect and descriptive assessment • Interpret information from indirect and descriptive assessment • Test hypothesis using functional analysis • Develop intervention options based on the function of problem behavior

5. 4 Assessment Methods • Goal: Enable to formulate hypotheses • INDIRECT • Interviews • Checklist • DIRECT • Standardized tests • Direct observation

6. Interview • Do not ask WHY but WHAT and WHEN • Focus on environmental conditions before, during and after a behavioral episode

7. Example • Case: Teacher you yells at disruptive students • In your own words, can you define the problem behaviors that prompted your request? • When you engage in negative attention, what happens usually immediately BEFORE that behavior occurs? • What usually happens AFTER you yell at the students? • What are the students reactions when you yell?

8. Behavior checklist and rating scales • Provides descriptions of specific behaviors and the conditions under which each behavior should occur. • You can use: • Published checklists • Create specific situation or skills checklist.

9. Example: Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach) • Acts too young for his/her age. • Afraid to try new things. • Avoids others to look in the eye. • Can´t concentrate, can´t pay attention for long. • Gets too upset when separated from parents. 0= Not True 1= Somewhat or Sometimes True 2=Very True or Often True

10. Standardized tests • Officially published • Performance and personality tests • Same administration procedure, same questions, same scoring. • Population norms • Main problem: Results cannot be directly translated into target behavior - not situation specific results

11. Examples TorranceCreativity test Raven´s matrices

12. Direct observation • Anecdotal or ABC observation • We record descriptive, temporally sequenced account of all behavior of interest, antecedents and consequences of behavior as it occurs in natural environment. • Usually 20-30 minutes, repeating periods

13. Example: ABC anecdotal form

14. 4 Assessment Methods • Goal: Enable to formulate hypotheses • INDIRECT • Interviews • Checklist • DIRECT • Standardized tests • Direct observation

15. Exercise Procrastination Part 1 - Interview

16. Exercise • Form pairs • Carry out the interview with you partner, in which you should: • Identify the problematic & target behaviors in observable and measurable terms • Identify the antecedents and consequences • Use when & what questions! • Do not help each other! • You have 8+8 minutes

17. Functional assessment - steps • Gather information via indirect and descriptive assessment • Interpret information from indirect and descriptive assessment • Test hypothesis using functional analysis • Develop intervention options based on the function of problem behavior

18. Now we have hypotheses. Now what? • We need to plan next steps: • Select hypotheses to be tested • Design testing approach to each hypothesis

19. Selecting hypotheses to be tested • Perform scoring on ALL hypothesis • Higher the score = higher the impact of a given factor • Sort the hypotheses • Select first few and proceed with the next step

20. Design testing approach to each hypothesis • Group design can not be used :( • Single case design • Baseline period • Intervention period • ABAB design • Multiple baseline design • Alternating treatments design

21. Exercise Procrastination Part 2: Scoring & testing

22. Exercise • In pairs: • Perform scoring of your hypothesis and design testing approach for first 2 of them • You have 10 minutes

23. Functional assessment - steps • Gather information via indirect and descriptive assessment • Interpret information from indirect and descriptive assessment • Test hypothesis using functional analysis • Develop intervention options based on the function of problem behavior

24. Homework Assignment Field observation Deadline: 28th March Maximum range: 2 pages

25. Homework assignment • Select one person in his/her natural environment • Perform at least 30 minutes non-intrusive observation of his/her interaction • Record the data according to methodology explained today • Use ABC recording form – download at dl.cuni.cz • Follow Instructions for assignment (next slide)

26. Instructions for assignment • Write down everything that subject does, says and everything that happens to the person • You can use your abbreviations, but expand them immediately after the observation ends • Record action that are seen or heard, not you interpretations • Record the temporal sequence of each response of interest by writing down what happened just before and right after it • Record the estimated start time of each behavioral episode • Optionally also end time • Be as unobtrusive as possible

27. Discussion [The end of the today's class]