Definition
A Functional Analysis (FA; analogue) is a systematic method used in behavior analysis to identify the function of a behavior by directly manipulating environmental variables. This process helps to determine the antecedents and consequences that maintain the behavior, thereby providing insight into whether the behavior is reinforced by attention, escape, access to tangibles, or automatic reinforcement. In an analogue functional analysis, these conditions are mimicked in a controlled environment to elicit and observe the behavior in question.
Example
A behavior analyst works with a child who exhibits frequent tantrums. To conduct a functional analysis, the analyst sets up different conditions in which the child may be exposed to attention, escape from tasks, access to preferred items, or no specific reinforcement (a control condition). By systematically manipulating these conditions, the analyst observes that the child’s tantrums are more likely to occur when they are denied access to a preferred toy, indicating that the function of the tantrums is access to tangibles.