A functional analysis of crying.
Run a separate functional analysis for crying—sympathetic attention can reinforce it even in isolation.
01Research in Context
What this study did
One teen with intellectual disability cried a lot.
The team ran a classic functional analysis.
They tested four short conditions: play, alone, demand, and ignore.
They watched if crying went up only when adults gave kind attention.
What they found
Crying jumped only in the attention condition.
When adults said things like "It’s okay," tears increased.
This proved the tears worked to get caring looks and words.
How this fits with other research
Marcell et al. (1988) first showed we must match treatment to function.
Miltenberger et al. (2013) now shows the same rule works for crying, not just self-injury.
O'Reilly et al. (2005) took the idea further.
They turned the FA results into a daily classroom schedule.
Play first, then work, cut self-injury to almost zero.
Firth et al. (2001) watched adults in group homes.
They saw that any problem behavior often got attention.
Miltenberger et al. (2013) proves this link with an experiment, not just notes.
Why it matters
If a client cries often, run a quick FA before you teach a replacement.
You may find that your own comforting words are the reinforcer.
Once you know the function, withhold the attention for tears and give it for calm voice or a break request.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Crying has yet to be examined systematically in isolation from other problem behavior, such as aggression or tantrums, during functional analyses (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003). Identification of variables that may maintain crying is especially important for populations who are susceptible to psychiatric interventions (e.g., individuals who have intellectual disabilities and communication deficits). The current study extended functional analysis methodology to crying with an adolescent boy who had been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. Results suggested that crying was maintained by caregiver attention delivered in a sympathetic manner.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2013 · doi:10.1002/jaba.4