Antecedent and consequent-based treatment strategies: A comparison of interventions for disruptive behavior.

摘要

Disruptive behavior is arguably the most common complaint to school psychologists by classroom teachers. Research in applied behavior analysis has demonstrated that behavioral problems may be reduced or eliminated by employing either antecedent or consequent-based treatment strategies. Antecedent or consequent-based treatment strategies are more likely to be effective once the underlying function of problem behavior has been identified. The current study employed functional assessments to determine the underlying functions of problem behavior in sixteen at-risk, regular education students. At-risk students often experience concomitant academic difficulties in addition to their behavioral problems. Research regarding the keystone behavior approach posits that selection of a pivotal target behavior may have positive collateral effects on non-targeted maladaptive behaviors. The current study conducted a direct comparison of antecedent and consequent-based treatment strategies, wherein, academic engagement was selected as the keystone variable. Functional assessments were conducted to identify the variables controlling and maintaining disruptive behavior (i.e., task-avoidance or attention-seeking) in eight second- and eight fifth-grade students. An equal number of second and fifth grade students whose behavior was found to be functionally related to either task-avoidance or attention-seeking were randomly assigned to either an antecedent or consequent-based treatment strategy. An ABAB single-case design was employed to analyze the effects of both treatment strategies. This study employed the Direct Collaborative Consultation model as the method of service delivery. Results showed that antecedent-based treatment strategies (i.e., self-monitoring and task-modification) were as effective and efficient as consequent-based treatment strategies (i.e., differential reinforcement) for increasing academic engagement and reducing disruptive behavior in at-risk children exhibiting behavioral problems within a regular education setting. Implications regarding the effects of treatment strategy as a function of behavior are discussed.