Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1998 Winter;31(4):593–604. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-593

Temporal distributions of problem behavior based on scatter plot analysis.

S Kahng 1, B A Iwata 1, S M Fischer 1, T J Page 1, K R Treadwell 1, D E Williams 1, R G Smith 1
PMCID: PMC1284150  PMID: 9891396

Abstract

The scatter plot is a commonly used assessment tool for identifying temporal patterns in the occurrence of behavior problems. However, the extent to which such patterns are frequently observed is unknown because little research has evaluated the general utility of the scatter plot. We conducted a large-scale analysis of within- and across-day occurrences of problem behavior by conducting continuous observations of 20 individuals living in four residential facilities. Data were recorded during 30-min intervals throughout participants' waking hours for 30 days by direct care staff and were converted into scatter plot formats. Five sets of data were excluded from further analysis due to poor interobserver agreement (below 80%). Visual analysis of the remaining 15 scatter plots indicated that none showed any reliable temporal pattern of responding. However, when the data were transformed into aggregate "control charts" based on statistical process control procedures, 12 of the 15 sets of data revealed one or more 30-min intervals during which problem behavior was more likely to occur. Results are discussed in terms of the practicality of applying statistical analyses to scatter plot data and of collecting data for the length of time needed to show statistical significance. It was concluded that detailed functional or descriptive analyses, which would reveal cause-effect or correlational relationships between behavior and specific environmental events, may be both more precise and more efficient forms of assessment.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (220.8 KB).

Selected References

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

  1. Axelrod S. Functional and structural analyses of behavior: approaches leading to reduced use of punishment procedures? Res Dev Disabil. 1987;8(2):165–178. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(87)90001-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cameron M. J., Luiselli J. K., Littleton R. F., Jr, Ferrelli L. Component analysis and stimulus control assessment of a behavior deceleration treatment package. Res Dev Disabil. 1996 May-Jun;17(3):203–215. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(96)00004-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Desrochers M. N., Hile M. G., Williams-Moseley T. L. Survey of functional assessment procedures used with individuals who display mental retardation and severe problem behaviors. Am J Ment Retard. 1997 Mar;101(5):535–546. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Groden G. A guide for conducting a comprehensive behavioral analysis of a target behavior. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1989 Jun;20(2):163–170. doi: 10.1016/0005-7916(89)90049-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Iwata B. A., Dorsey M. F., Slifer K. J., Bauman K. E., Richman G. S. Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):197–209. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kennedy C. H., Itkonen T. Effects of setting events on the problem behavior of students with severe disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal. 1993 Fall;26(3):321–327. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1993.26-321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kennedy C. H., Souza G. Functional analysis and treatment of eye poking. J Appl Behav Anal. 1995 Spring;28(1):27–37. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1995.28-27. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lalli J. S., Browder D. M., Mace F. C., Brown D. K. Teacher use of descriptive analysis data to implement interventions to decrease students' problem behaviors. J Appl Behav Anal. 1993 Summer;26(2):227–238. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1993.26-227. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Linscheid T. R., Iwata B. A., Ricketts R. W., Williams D. E., Griffin J. C. Clinical evaluation of the self-injurious behavior inhibiting system (SIBIS). J Appl Behav Anal. 1990 Spring;23(1):53–78. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1990.23-53. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mace F. C., Lalli J. S., Lalli E. P. Functional analysis and treatment of aberrant behavior. Res Dev Disabil. 1991;12(2):155–180. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(91)90004-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pfadt A., Wheeler D. J. Using statistical process control to make data-based clinical decisions. J Appl Behav Anal. 1995 Fall;28(3):349–370. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1995.28-349. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Repp A. C., Felce D., Barton L. E. Basing the treatment of stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors on hypotheses of their causes. J Appl Behav Anal. 1988 Fall;21(3):281–289. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1988.21-281. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ricketts R. W., Goza A. B., Ellis C. R., Singh Y. N., Chambers S., Singh N. N., Cooke J. C., 3rd Clinical effects of buspirone on intractable self-injury in adults with mental retardation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1994 Feb;33(2):270–276. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199402000-00017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ricketts R. W., Goza A. B., Ellis C. R., Singh Y. N., Singh N. N., Cooke J. C., 3rd Fluoxetine treatment of severe self-injury in young adults with mental retardation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993 Jul;32(4):865–869. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199307000-00024. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Touchette P. E., MacDonald R. F., Langer S. N. A scatter plot for identifying stimulus control of problem behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1985 Winter;18(4):343–351. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1985.18-343. [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