Skip to main content
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1998 Fall;31(3):471–474. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-471

Brief functional analysis and treatment of a vocal tic.

T S Watson 1, H E Sterling 1
PMCID: PMC1284132  PMID: 9757584

Abstract

This study sought to extend functional methodology to the assessment and treatment of habits. After a descriptive assessment indicated that coughing occurred while eating, a brief functional analysis suggested that social attention was the maintaining variable. Results demonstrated that treatment, derived from the assessment and analysis data, rapidly eliminated the cough. We discuss the appropriateness of using functional analysis procedures for deriving treatments for habits in a clinical setting.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (81.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Carr J. E., Taylor C. C., Wallander R. J., Reiss M. L. A functional-analytic approach to the diagnosis of a transient tic disorder. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1996 Sep;27(3):291–297. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7916(96)00025-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Wagaman J. R., Miltenberger R. G., Williams D. E. Treatment of a vocal tic by differential reinforcement. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1995 Mar;26(1):35–39. doi: 10.1016/0005-7916(94)00068-w. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Woods D. W., Miltenberger R. G. Are persons with nervous habit nervous? A preliminary examination of habit function in a nonreferred population. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Summer;29(2):259–261. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-259. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES