Effectiveness of an instructional DVD in training college students to implement functional analyses

摘要

A functional analysis is a valuable assessment technique that requires a unique kind of precision on behalf of the therapist. However, there is a lack of empirically validated tools for training functional analysis skills. This study examined the effectiveness of an instructional DVD in training college students to perform five functional analysis conditions. During simulated sessions, participants acted as therapists, and observers measured the accuracy with which they implemented programmed antecedents and consequences. Results showed that the DVD was effective in improving all participants' accuracy above baseline levels; however, in order to meet the 90% performance criterion, all participants required feedback. These results suggest that an instructional video is a useful training tool in providing basic skills for conducting functional analyses.