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| Assembling Case Presentations Using Goldiamond's Constructional Approach |
| Friday, May 27, 2005 |
| 10:00 AM–5:00 PM |
| Williford C (3rd floor) |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Paul Thomas Andronis, Ph.D. |
| PAUL THOMAS ANDRONIS (Northern Michigan University) |
| 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. Goldiamond (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, & 1984) elaborated a thoroughgoing method for the functional analysis of behavior, called the Constructional Approach, that includes linear and nonlinear contingency relations, and that may be addressed explicitly to both topical and systemic treatment programs. In short, Goldiamons approach affords a comprehensive, coherent, and fundamental basis for the functional analysis of behavior. This workshop will provide a brief overview of Goldiamonds (1974) Constructional Approach to social and personal behavior problems, including a brief review of the Constructional Questionnaire, used like an intake interview to gather initial information to guide the functional analysis. The focus will be on the presentation of material collected in this interview (or other formats), in a way that portrays the individual as a competently functioning person, and the problem behavior as an effective, adaptive operant given the individuals personal history and natural ecology. Examples from clinical and organizational casework, as well as any offered by participants, will illustrate the method. 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 ways in which the material gathered in the Constructional Questionnaire, as well as other forms of intake interviews, can be assembled to reveal how troublesome behavior can nonetheless benefit individuals in personal ways, and how framing behavior problems within a Constructional approach can makes sense of behavior that, from other perspectives, is classified as senseless, irrational, maladaptive, dysfunctional, pathological, and so on. |
| Learning Objectives: At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: - Describe a contingency-based view 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. - Describe the kinds of basic information that are useful for Constructional programming. - Identify important assessment and programming variables gathered by means of the Constructional Questionnaire or other intake interview formats. - Define disturbing behavior patterns in terms of their functions as successful operants. - Identify different kinds of ordinary outcomes that can nonetheless maintain disturbing patterns of behavior. - Identify strengths a client/patient/student may possess at the start of the program. - Write a brief description of a client�s behavior problem using Goldiamond�s Constructional Case Presentation Guide. |
| Activities: After a presentation of the model, participants will discuss key elements of the Constructional approach, its 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 treatment procedures. With materials supplied to them, or information they themselves have contributed, the participants will work in small groups to analyze clinical or other applied vignettes, identify the appropriate contingency matrices, and then present their analyses to the workshop as a whole in Constructional terms (using Goldiamond�s Constructional Case Presentation Guide). If time allows, participants may suggest and discuss outlines for Constructional interventions in those cases. |
| Audience: Participants for this workshop should have a basic understanding of the consequential governance of behavior. Familiarity with Goldiamonds Constructional Approach, through previous workshops in the area, would greatly enhance the value of this workshop to participants. The subject and activities would probably appeal most to 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. Level: Intermediate |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |