A validity study on the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) Scale: predicting treatment success for self-injury, aggression, and stereotypies.
We investigated the validity of the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF), a checklist designed to assess antecedent behavior, using a sample of 398 persons with mental retardation and a targeted maladaptive behavior of self-injurious behavior, aggression, or stereotypies. The QABF was used successfully to derive clear behavioral functions for most individuals (84%) across all three target behaviors. Further, subjects with treatments developed from functional assessment (QABF results) improved significantly when compared to controls receiving standard treatments not based on functional analysis. Implications of the present findings for assessing and treating maladaptive behaviors are discussed.
Matson
J L
JL
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803-5501, USA. JohnMatson@aol.com
Bamburg
J W
JW
Cherry
K E
KE
Paclawskyj
T R
TR
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior