Testable Hypothesis

Description of the Strategy

Supporting students with problem behaviors, particularly intense or chronic behaviors, remains a primary concern for practitioners, teachers, parents, and researchers. Functional behavioral assessment is a strategy designed to assist school personnel in collecting information about a student's behavior through direct observation, interviews, and archival records. The information gathered from a functional behavioral assessment is summarized in a testable hypothesis or a summary statement that identifies (a) the antecedents (discriminative stimuli [SDs] and establishing operations [EOs]) that establish the problem behavior, (b) an operational description of the problem behavior, and (c) the maintaining consequence. Developing a testable hypothesis allows behavior to be considered within its environmental context. Following a structured format that organizes assessment information facilitates the development of individualized, multicomponent support plans that are assessment based and more likely to be successful than plans that are not assessment based.

In general, a testable hypothesis is an objective “best guess” regarding the conditions under which the problem behavior will occur, the consequences that [Page 1577]maintain occurrence of the problem behavior, and any setting events that appear to make occurrence of the problem behavior more likely. A complete testable hypothesis includes (a) an operational description of the problem behavior, (b) the triggering antecedent, (c) maintaining consequences, and (d) setting events (when discernible). For example, Clark disrupts class by talking to peers and making loud noises (problem behavior) when asked to complete written assignments (triggering antecedent). This behavior, in this context, is maintained by escape from the task (maintaining consequence) and is more likely to occur on Mondays, after he has spent the weekend with his five new stepsisters (setting event).

Research Basis

Several steps lead to the construction of a testable hypothesis. First, the problem behavior is identified and operationally defined. Second, the antecedent (when the behavior happens) is defined. Third, the maintaining consequence is identified. Finally, the possible influence of setting events that make the problem behavior more intense or more likely to occur can be considered. Each of the four components that comprise the testable hypothesis is described here.