title: Contingency space analysis: an alternative method for identifying contingent relations from observational data.
abstract: Descriptive assessment methods have been used in applied settings to identify consequences for problem behavior, thereby aiding in the design of effective treatment programs. Consensus has not been reached, however, regarding the types of data or analytic strategies that are most useful for describing behavior-consequence relations. One promising approach involves the analysis of conditional probabilities from sequential recordings of behavior and events that follow its occurrence. In this paper we review several strategies for identifying contingent relations from conditional probabilities, and propose an alternative strategy known as a contingency space analysis (CSA). Step-by-step procedures for conducting and interpreting a CSA using sample data are presented, followed by discussion of the potential use of a CSA for conducting descriptive assessments, informing intervention design, and evaluating changes in reinforcement contingencies following treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA.
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: Florence D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Digennaro
authors.forename: Derek D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Frances M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Szczech
authors.forename: Blair D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009042:Motivation; D011336:Probability; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013223:Statistics as Topic