Essential Reading
Read this overview on the distinction between Functional Assessment and Functional Analysis in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Understanding the difference between these methods is key to applying the appropriate assessment strategy in practice:
Understanding the Distinction between Functional Assessment and Functional Analysis in Applied Behavior Analysis
Introduction: In the field of ABA, professionals use various assessment methods to understand the functions of behaviours that challenge. Two commonly used approaches are functional assessment and functional analysis. While these terms sound similar, they have distinct purposes and methodologies.
Functional Assessment: A functional assessment aims to identify the function of a behaviour that challenges. This can be conducted using indirect or direct methods:
- Indirect Functional Assessment: Uses interviews, questionnaires, surveys, checklists, or rating scales. These tools gather information on setting events, motivating factors, antecedents, and consequences.
- Direct Functional Assessment: Involves direct observation in the natural environment using methods such as ABC recording, scatterplots, frequency, duration, whole-interval, and partial-interval recording.
Functional Analysis: While a functional assessment identifies potential functions of behaviour, a functional analysis tests these hypotheses experimentally by manipulating antecedents and consequences.
Different Functional Analysis Methods:
- Traditional Functional Analysis: Systematically presents different antecedent and consequence conditions to identify behavioural functions, including attention, escape, tangible, control/play, and no-interaction conditions.
- Alternating Treatments Functional Analysis: Tests different potential functions by alternating treatment conditions rapidly to compare behaviours across settings.
- Multiple Schedules Functional Analysis: Examines the effects of varying reinforcement schedules (e.g., fixed ratio, variable ratio) to determine which schedule maintains the behaviour.
Selection of the appropriate functional analysis method depends on ethical considerations, available resources, and supervision from qualified professionals.
Conclusion: Functional assessment and functional analysis are both vital in ABA. Functional assessments help identify possible behavioural functions through observation or reporting, while functional analyses directly test those hypotheses. Understanding the distinction enables behaviour analysts to create more effective and ethical interventions.
Essential Video
It is also possible to combine functional analysis and functional assessment methods. One approach is the Practical Functional Assessment. Watch the video below for an introduction to this method:
Conversation Exercise
Complete the Conversation Exercise with FRED, our AI-powered chatbot to explore the distinctions between functional assessment and functional analysis:
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Reflection Exercise
After completing the reading, video, and conversation exercise, reflect on your learning using the prompts below. Your reflection should be:
- Between 100 and 500 words
- Written in your preferred language
- Expressed in your own words — do not copy text from chatbots, websites, or this course
Click to view Reflection Prompts & Example
Reflection Prompts (use one or more):
- Summarise Key Concepts: What is the difference between functional assessment and functional analysis?
- Define in Your Own Words: How would you explain Practical Functional Assessment to a colleague?
- Importance and Connections: Why might combining assessment and analysis methods be useful?
- Practical Applications: How could you apply these methods in a real-world behaviour support context?
- Insights: Did anything from the video change your understanding of behaviour analysis?
When you’re ready, submit your reflection below:
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