SITUATION SPECIFICITY IN ATTENTION-SEEKING PROBLEM BEHAVIOR - A CASE-STUDY

Previous research on attention-seeking problem behavior has focused on individuals who misbehaved under general conditions of low adult atte ntion. In general, no detailed analyses were conducted to determine wh ether different situations involving low levels of adult attention (su ch as familiar vs. unfamiliar adults, setting events, or the presence or absence of peas) exacerbated or attenuated problem behavior. The cu rrent case study demonstrates that, for one adolescent, all situations involving low levels of adult attention were not equally discriminati ve for problem behavior. Two functional analyses concerning different situations involving low levels of adult attention were conducted. The first analysis consisted of systematically manipulating antecedent an d consequence conditions related to adult attention and task demands. This analysis indicated that low levels of adult attention evoked prob lem behavior. The second analysis involved two different conditions pr esenting low levels of adult attention. In one, the adult spoke to ano ther child; in the second, the adult spoke to another adult. This seco nd analysis revealed that, when the adult spoke to another adult, prob lem behavior resulted. However, when the adult spoke to another child, problem behavior did not occur. On the basis of these functional anal yses, a positive intervention was designed to reduce problem behavior. Theoretical implications related to functional analysis are discussed , and applied issues concerning functionally based treatment selection are explored.