Parents of newborns often learn to recognize the small differences in their baby’s cry. One cry might mean that they are hungry, another cry might mean they want to be held. They can interpret their baby’s behavior to determine why the baby is engaging in a particular behavior.
Similarly, behavior analysts are trained to “listen” to behaviors to identify why they may be happening. I have worked with children who would shout random Peppa Pig quotes at me – not because they wanted to talk about the show, but because they wanted to be left alone.
An outsider may have witnessed this behavior and assumed that the action was totally random, but a little digging can uncover a lot about why some people do what they do. Another child used to flick the lights on and off repeatedly because the flickering lights earned him a laugh from his group of friends. All of these behaviors, and all other behaviors people can observe, all serve a purpose. In applied behavior analysis (ABA), we refer to these purposes as the functions of behavior.
Understanding the four functions of behavior is absolutely vital to the field of ABA. With behavior being a fundamental component of ABA, it only makes sense that knowing why a behavior is occurring is imperative. If we know the why, we can better understand, analyze, test, and modify. The functions of behavior are arguably more important than the topography of a behavior. They guide us in how we assess different behaviors and how we respond to them.
This article will break down each of the functions, give some examples, go over some basic intervention strategies, and discuss some different tools that are used in ABA that involve the functions of behavior.
What Are the Four Functions of Behavior?
In the context of behavior, the term function refers to the purpose that a behavior serves for an individual. Rather than looking at what the behavior itself looks like, looking at the function of a behavior helps us to identify why a behavior might be happening. The function of a behavior helps in understanding what the person is trying to gain (or avoid) through their actions.
All behaviors, whether or not they are considered appropriate, serve at least one of the four recognized functions. Identifying the function of a behavior better allows others to respond in more effective and supportive ways.
Obtén terapia ABA en casa, con cariño
Completa el formulario para conversar sobre cómo tu hijo puede comenzar la terapia rápidamente y sin estrés:
- Therapists Available
- Help With Insurance
- Quick Response
Function 1: Attention
Attention-seeking behaviors occur when an individual does things specifically to gain social interaction, whether it is positive (like with praise or laughter) or negative (like with reprimands or scolding). The behavior happens and continues to happen because it successfully captures someone’s focus. For example, a child might start to scream in the middle of class to get attention from the teacher. They also might throw items and be scolded for it. Both of these behaviors result in social interaction from others. Even in instances where the attention is considered negative, the behavior persists.
A key indicator of attention-maintained behavior is that it tends to increase when other people react to it. These types of behaviors are also more likely to occur in group settings, or when another person or item has others’ attention.
A very effective intervention strategy includes reinforcing other, more appropriate attention-seeking behaviors, such as hand-raising or directly asking for attention. This intervention is often used in tandem with other strategies, such as planned ignoring and functional communication. Concerns around planned ignoring (ensuring safety, consideration of emotional needs of the individual, practicality and feasibility of intervention, etc) should be addressed before applying.
Function 2: Escape (or Avoidance)
Escape-maintained behavior occurs when an individual acts to avoid or end something that they find unpleasant (such as tasks, situations, interactions, etc). This might look like a student running out of a classroom when it is time to complete a math worksheet or a client hitting someone who asks them to clean up. These types of behaviors typically occur soon after the individual is presented with a demand or a difficult task. The behavior continues because the individual has learned that engaging in such a behavior results in the removal of the demand that was placed.
To address escape-related behaviors, it is important to adjust the environment and expectations without accidentally reinforcing the avoidance. One great strategy is to modify tasks to make them a bit more manageable with gradual exposure to increase the individual’s tolerance to the task. In addition, teaching the individual to appropriately ask for breaks from the task can go a long way.
It’s essentially teaching them an alternative way to get out of a task, but the new behavior is more acceptable and can work incredibly well with gradual exposure in getting the individual back to complete the task. In some cases, escape extinction can be effective, but this is another type of strategy where a lot of concerns must be addressed before implementing it to ensure that it is done carefully and ethically. Offering choices is also a simple yet effective way to reduce the need for escape-maintained behaviors.
Function 3: Access to Tangibles
Some behaviors are used to obtain certain desired items or activities, such as toys, food, or electronics. When a behavior is maintained by access to tangibles, the individual has learned that acting in specific ways can lead to them getting whatever they want. For example, a child may cry and continue to cry until they are given their tablet. Or, a child might take food off the counter if it isn’t directly given to them.
Interventions for behaviors related to access to tangibles focus on teaching and reinforcing acceptable ways to request desired items. Functional communication training (FCT) can be used to help the individual request items in a more transparent and appropriate manner. In addition to teaching alternative behaviors, working on tolerance and waiting can help to build patience for times when the individual cannot have access to preferred items.
Function 4: Sensory (Automatic Reinforcement)
Sensory-maintained behaviors are different from all of the other functions in that they are driven by internal factors. These behaviors feel good to the individual and they don’t rely on external consequences. Examples of these behaviors include hand-flapping, vocal stimming, spinning, or rocking. Sensory-related behaviors occur in nearly all environments and occur even when no one else is around.
The critical thing to remember regarding interventions related to sensory-maintained behaviors is that intervention isn’t always necessary. Children with autism are known to engage in repetitive and automatically reinforcing behaviors, and stopping them from occurring can do more harm than good. A behavior that some may view as different does not mean that the behavior is bad.
Interventions on sensory-maintained behaviors should only be considered if the behavior is a danger to themselves or others, illegal, or if the behavior is seriously limiting the individual’s ability to function. With that being said, strategies to intervene include offering sensory replacement activities that meet the same need in a more functional way, enriching the environment with other options, or using different interrupt and redirect techniques.
Conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
The four functions of behavior are the foundations of a Functional Behavior Assessment, or FBA. An FBA is a process used by behavioral professionals to identify the reasons behind challenging behaviors. Determining the function (or multiple functions) behind a behavior is the first step in creating more effective and targeted interventions to reduce challenging behaviors. Targeting the behavior itself without consideration of the details surrounding it can lead to many more problems in the future.
Identifying the function must occur before taking any steps toward designing a behavior intervention plan. Designing a plan before knowing the function would be much like prescribing a medication before knowing what illness a person has. Just as addressing the symptoms without treating the cause is bad practice in medicine, changing behavior without consideration for the cause is bad practice when it comes to behavioral interventions.
Interventions based on an incorrect function of behavior can inadvertently make the behavior worse by reinforcing the behavior. If a child who engages in escape-maintained behaviors starts a planned ignoring (attention-based) intervention, they may start to engage in problem behaviors more often to purposely be ignored, which aids them in avoiding the completion of a task.
There are several tools that professionals use when completing an FBA. Antecedent – Behavior – Consequence (ABC) data is collected by recording not only instances of challenging behavior but also what occurs immediately before and after. Indirect assessments, such as interviews and checklists, rely on input from those who work closely with the individual who engages in the challenging behavior. This allows behavioral professionals to get a better idea of what the behavior may look like at different times and in different environments.
A Functional Analysis (FA) is a more structured and experimental approach to determining the function of a behavior and involves the manipulation of variables to see how they affect behavior. With any tool, assessment, procedure, or intervention, ethical considerations (such as safety, consent, dignity, and so on) should always be the number one priority.
Mi punto de vista como BCBA
I can personally attest to the importance of understanding the functions of behavior, even beyond my career as a behavior analyst. Once the functions are understood, I can see them in action when observing others around me. I can more confidently respond to parents’ questions about their child’s behavior and better equip them to handle concerns. It has also made me better at stopping behaviors before they become a concern and has made me much more fun for clients to engage with.
For example, knowing that a behavior is occurring to access tangibles allows me to know what a client enjoys interacting with. With that information, I can confidently select possible reinforcement items for future therapy sessions and enter the sessions prepared to intervene before a behavior occurs, ensuring that the sessions remain calm and positive for all parties.
My biggest piece of advice for aspiring providers is not to be afraid to go back to the drawing board. Nobody is perfect. Sometimes, the wrong function is chosen. If interventions are chosen based on a particular function and behaviors are not decreasing after multiple sessions, there is no shame in collecting more ABC data to reevaluate. It is possible for a behavior’s function to change and for behaviors to have multiple functions.
Conclusión
Understanding the four functions of behavior is foundational to practice in applied behavior analysis (ABA). These functions help to explain why a behavior occurs and guide providers in selecting interventions that are appropriate and meaningful. Figuring out function is the first step towards making lasting changes. Accurate data collection, consistent observation, and individualization of strategies are important to the entire process, both before and after the function is discovered. No two individuals are exactly the same, and so there is no room for one-size-fits-all approaches.
