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| Seeing the World With XRay Eyes: Using Goldiamonds Constructional Questionnaire to Functionally Analyze Disturbing Behavior |
| Friday, May 28, 2004 |
| 6:00 PM–9:00 PM |
| Beacon A |
| Area: PRA; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Paul Thomas Andronis, Ed.D. |
| PAUL THOMAS ANDRONIS (Northern Michigan University), T. V. JOE LAYNG (Headsprout) |
| Description: The functional analysis of behavior has become the generally accepted standard for initial behavioral assessment in the delivery of human services by both public and private agencies, and many other institutions throughout the United States. At the same time, perhaps because of the demands imposed by their rapid and widespread dissemination, the procedures associated with this approach have often become formalized around a relatively simplified cluster of basic analytic assessments. Goldiamond (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, & 1984) elaborated a thoroughgoing method for a functional analysis of behavior that includes a carefully researched questioning protocol that may be used to identify the critical consequences responsible for maintaining disturbing patterns of clinical interest. This protocol has been used successfully to identify important contingencies and develop successful treatment programs for a wide range of clinical problems including: drug addiction, phobias, borderline syndrome, anxiety attacks, depression, behavior problems associated with Autism, delusions, hallucinations, and various forms of schizophrenia among others. This workshop will focus on the use of Goldiamonds Constructional Questionnaire as a basis for functional analysis. The questionnaire was researched and developed over a period of years by Goldiamond and his students at The University of Chicago, and is a powerful tool for identifying putative consequential contingencies maintaining disturbing patterns. This workshop will provide an overview of Goldiamonds (1974) Constructional Questionnaire. With an emphasis on: Making sense of seemingly irrational or apparently maladaptive behavior. Constructional Program Planning using topical and systemic programs The theoretical model used in this workshop treats human behavior as a rational and adaptive outcome of individuals unique personal histories (including both social and biological endowments). Accordingly, we will discuss how the Constructional Questionnaire and Program Planning Guide demonstrates how behavior usually benefits individuals in personal ways, and how a Constructional Approach can thus make sense of behavior that, from other perspectives, is classified as senseless, irrational, maladaptive, dysfunctional, pathological, and so on. |
| Learning Objectives: At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: Describe a contingency-based description of the rationality of behavior, making sense of examples of troublesome behavior drawn from clinical, educational, and other practical settings. Describe Goldiamond�s Constructional Approach, and critically distinguish it from other behavioral approaches to analyzing and changing behavior. Distinguish between linear and nonlinear contingency relations, and between topical and systemic programming strategies Identify important assessment and programming variables through use of the Constructional Questionnaire Identify linear and nonlinear contingency relations from a set of examples and nonexamples. Use the Constructional Programming and Planning Guide to define disturbing behavior patterns in terms of their functions as successful operants and propose programs for constructional behavior change. |
| Activities: After a presentation of the model, participants will discuss key elements of the Constructional approach, and Questionnaire, and their differences from those procedures that characterize conventional functional analysis, and the importance and utility of distinguishing between linear and nonlinear contingency relations, and between topical and systemic procedures. With materials supplied to them, including the Constructional Questionnaire, Questionnaire Guide, and Constructional Programming Guide, the participants will work in small groups to analyze clinical or other applied vignettes, describe them in Constructional terms, identify the appropriate contingency matrices, suggest the outlines for Constructional interventions in those cases, and then present their analyses to the workshop as a whole for further discussion.Audience: People working in clinical, educational, or other applied settings with various populations, and those looking for a humane, effective, and radically behavioral approach to helping others who engage in challenging or disturbing behavior. Participants for this workshop should have a basic understanding of the consequential governance of behavior. |
| Audience: . |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Basic |