Introduction
In the journal article A Scatter Plot For Identifying Stimulus Control of Problem Behavior, a research is being conducted in order to analyze patterns.
- A scatter plot is put to test in order to help identify patterns of responding in a natural setting.
- It was established that the responses do not occur in a steady manner. There are usually times when the response rates are high and others when the rates are low more. Even so, dramatic, infrequent stimulus response relationships can be identified easily especially when there is a pattern and a scatter plot can help see periods when there is a problem with regard to responses. The study conducted therefore seeks to find the relationship between stimulus and the patterns associated to it.
Procedure
- A data finding approach that could fit into any setting was established.
- A grid was drawn where data is supposed to be plotted indicating the rates of the behavior noted from a certain stimulus.
- The scatter chart is supposed to be filled with observations that show the rate at which the behavior occurred, whether high, low or 0. A pattern should then be identified as soon as a couple of recordings are made.
- The behavior can then be deduced from the grid and through this, one can tell the behavior patterns and the way various stimuli led to the behavior that was noted. Some of these determiners of behavior include the time of the day, the people who are in the vicinity, the social setting, the activities that are involved, physical environment, reinforcement as well as other variables present at the time.
Observation
- The three scatter plots used facilitated in the identification of a relationship existing between the problem behaviors and the environmental factors where the three adolescents lived. In fact, when the schedules, activities and even the settings of the adolescents were altered, there were observable changes in the target responses.
- A few challenges were faced one of them being the timing which covered about twelve hours. But even so, the way in which the responses were collected was reliable but then the interobserver agreement estimation was factored in and calculated while factoring in the differences that were noted. The differences were not as huge so as to hinder the study.
Discussion
- After the study was carried out, it became clear that patterns of behavior are a pointer to the stimuli that control the problem behavior. In order to eliminate the undesirable behavior, it is practical that the undesirable stimulus eliminated.
- Stimuli that control high rates can be reduced or be eliminated completely and in their place, stimuli that control low rates be enacted. Stimulus conditions vary with time of the day regardless of where they occur, whether at home or school.
- According to this study, any slight change is an opportunity to evaluate the impact of each individual location and stimulus. There are times when there is a systematic correspondence of change in setting and change in behavior, the assumption is that there is a controlling relation.
- Even so, a scatter diagram is not good enough when results are expected to be fast because of its low resolution rate.
- But through the three cases investigated in this study, it becomes clear that it is possible to eliminate all forms of problem behavior and therefore more exact analyses are required.
