Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) Data Collection is a method used in AppliedApplied means that the behaviors targeted for change in... BehaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... Analysis (ABA) to record information about a behavior and the surrounding environmental events. Specifically, it involves:
- AntecedentAn Antecedent in Applied Behavior A... (A): What happens immediately before the behavior.
- Behavior (B): The observable behavior that occurs.
- Consequence (C): What happens immediately after the behavior.
By tracking the ABC sequence, behavior analysts can identify patterns in behavior and determine the function of the behavior, which helps guide the development of appropriate intervention strategies.
Example
Scenario: A teacher is working with a student named Sarah who frequently shouts out in class.
- Antecedent (A): The teacher gives the class a difficult math problem and asks the students to work on it independently.
- Behavior (B): Sarah shouts, “This is too hard! I can’t do it!”
- Consequence (C): The teacher comes over to Sarah, provides her with individual assistance, and helps her complete the task.
Analysis: The ABC data suggests that Sarah’s shouting may be an attention-seeking behavior, where the antecedent (difficult math problem) leads to the behavior (shouting), and the consequence (teacher providing assistance) reinforces the behavior.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)A Functional Assessment (FA) is a process used in Applied Be...