Experimental analysis of precursors to severe problem behavior.
Catch and treat mild precursor behaviors with NCR thinning plus DRA to prevent severe episodes.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a checklist of early warning signs that come right before severe problem behavior.
They ran short functional analyses on those mild signs for eight people.
Then they tried a combo treatment: free reinforcers on a thinning schedule plus rewards for using a replacement skill.
What they found
The checklist caught reliable precursors in every person.
Seven of the eight precursor analyses matched the function of the severe behavior that followed.
For two people, the combo package dropped precursors to zero and kept severe behavior low.
How this fits with other research
Fritz et al. (2017) later showed you can thin NCR without extinction and still win; if behavior pops back up, just add DRA instead of returning to rich NCR.
Slaton et al. (2024) went further, using practical FCT and thinning in schools to erase crisis plans for six kids a full year later—stronger, longer-lasting gains.
Mitteer et al. (2022) sounds a warning: in about 70 % of FCT cases, problem behavior briefly resurged during thinning or new settings, so watch both the new skill and the old one.
Together the story is: start with precursors, treat early with NCR plus DRA, expect possible brief flare-ups, and plan for the long haul like Slaton did.
Why it matters
You can stop severe behavior before it starts by watching the small stuff that comes first.
Run a five-minute precursor FA, then use free reinforcers on a lean schedule and reinforce a simple replacement response.
Track both the early signs and the big behavior; if you see a spike, add more DRA instead of more free stuff.
This front-loads your treatment and keeps everyone safer.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Some individuals engage in both mild and severe forms of problem behavior. Research has shown that when mild behaviors precede severe behaviors (i.e., the mild behaviors serve as precursors), they can (a) be maintained by the same source of reinforcement as severe behavior and (b) reduce rates of severe behavior observed during assessment. In Study 1, we developed an objective checklist to identify precursors via videotaped trials for 16 subjects who engaged in problem behavior and identified at least 1 precursor for every subject. In Study 2, we conducted separate functional analyses of precursor and severe problem behaviors for 8 subjects, and obtained correspondence between outcomes in 7 cases. In Study 3, we evaluated noncontingent reinforcement schedule thinning plus differential reinforcement of alternative behavior to reduce precursors, increase appropriate behavior, and maintain low rates of severe behavior during 3 treatment analyses for 2 subjects. Results showed that this treatment strategy was effective for behaviors maintained by positive and negative reinforcement.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2013 · doi:10.1002/jaba.27