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Applying Functional Analysis: A Reply to Samson and McDonnell

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Robert S. P. Jones
Affiliation:
University College of North Wales, Bangor
R. Glynn Owens
Affiliation:
University College of North Wales, Bangor

Extract

This paper builds on the suggestions of Samson and McDonnell (1990) concerning functional analysis and challenging behaviour and argues that although presenting an excellent outline of the general use of functional analysis, Samson and McDonnell (1990) have failed to sufficiently address the complexities of a functional approach to complex behaviour. The present paper emphasizes the need for caution when including “unobservables” in a functional analysis and discusses the contextual nature of the functional relationships between variables.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1992

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References

Jones, R. S. P. (1983). Functional analysis: some cautionary notes. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 36, 237238.Google Scholar
Owens, R. G. and Ashcroft, J. B. (1982). Functional analysis in applied psychology. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 21, 181189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Samson, D. M. and McDonnell, A. A. (1990). Functional analysis and challenging behaviours. Behavioural Psychotherapy 18, 259272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skinner, B. F. (1974). About Behaviourism. London: Jonathan Cape.Google Scholar
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