2.4 Observing behaviour
Observing Behaviour = ABC
Thinking functionally about disruptive student behaviour assumes that behaviour is maintained by something in the environment where the behaviour is happening. To find out why or the function, we examine the antecedents, the behaviour and the consequences. That is, we watch or observe the behaviour directly and document the A, B and C of that disruptive behaviour.
Antecedent – what happens before the behaviour?
Behaviour – the actual behaviour that was observed
Consequence – what happens after the behaviour?
Even though the sequence says A, B then C – always start with the behaviour which is described in observable and measurable terms. If the behaviour is not described in a manner that tells others exactly what it looks like and sounds like, it is not only difficult to accurately observe and measure but determining the appropriate intervention, is made problematic. The behaviour is the actual behaviour that was demonstrated by the student. What does the behaviour look like in observable and measurable terms? Challenging behaviour needs to be explicitly described so that a visitor to the school would be able to accurately identify the behaviour. How we define behaviour guides how we measure it. Which of the following are observable and measurable?
| She knocks her book the floor and tells adults ‘No!” | He is anxious | She interrupts people when they are talking by constantly tapping them |
He leaves the room without permission |
| He pushes, punches and bites people |
She daydreams a lot | He hums and calls out swear words |
He lacks motivation |
| She is disrespectful |
She hits her peers | He has ADHD | She rocks on her chair, taps her feet |
The antecedent is what happened just before the behaviour did. It is sometimes called the fast trigger. While, the antecedent is often described as all the happenings within the context in which the behaviour occurs, it can be more helpful to think of the antecedent as what happens immediately before the behaviour. Other factors which also occur before the behaviour but over which the teacher often has little control, for example tiredness, hunger, fighting at home, removal from the family, are termed setting events. Awareness of these factors is important because while they are not an immediate trigger, they can significantly influence student behaviour. Some behaviourists choose to not single out the setting events from other antecedents (Umbreit, Ferro, Liaupsin, & Lane, 2007) but we will consider them separately and the antecedent recorded on the ABC form will be what happened immediately before the actual behaviour.
The consequence is what happens after the behaviour. What is it that the adults say or do? It is the consequence that will make the behaviour more or less likely to occur again. If the consequence encourages the behaviour to be repeated, it is called a reinforcer. If the consequence reduces the likelihood the behaviour will happen again, i