Evaluating the boundaries of analytic efficiency and control: A consecutive controlled case series of 26 functional analyses

Jessel and colleagues ran 26 functional analyses back-to-back. Each test condition lasted only three minutes.

They watched if the brief sessions still showed clear control of problem behavior by its trigger.

All 26 cases gave clean, believable results. Three-minute sessions caught the true function every time.

Control was as tight as in longer analyses, but the whole FA finished much faster.

Webb et al. (1999) first showed brief FAs can match long ones in a fraction of the time. Their success set the stage for the 3-minute rule.

Kahng et al. (1999) warned brief FAs are only 66% accurate and can give false positives. Jessel’s tighter control fixes that gap.

Saini et al. (2020) reviewed many quick formats and named trial-based and synthesized types as the fastest. The 3-minute single format now joins that list with solid proof.

You can finish an FA before lunch and still trust the answer. Start with 3-minute conditions, watch the graph, and move straight to treatment. Less time in assessment means more time for teaching.