In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a behavior is often analyzed and categorized into four primary functions. Understanding these functions is crucial for developing effective interventions. Here are the four functions of behavior in ABA:

Avoidance/Escape: This behavior is exhibited when a person tries to escape a situation or avoid a task or activity they don’t want to do. For example, a student might leave a classroom without permission, or a person might walk away from a difficult conversation. The reasons for avoidance can vary, but it is normally associated to the difficulty of the demand, the effort, and low motivation.

Tangible: This behavior is exhibited when a person’s actions get them access to items or preferred activities. For example, a student might cut in line at the gym to have a turn at playing sooner, or a person kicks a piece of furniture to get a cookie.

Attention: Some behaviors are attention-seeking. For example, a student might act silly to make their classmates laugh or harm themselves to obtain console from their parents. These behaviors are often repeated if a person gets the attention they want.

Sensory: This function of behavior is related to sensory stimulation. For example, hand flapping, rocking their head, blinking eyes, or walking on tiptoes.

Each of these behaviors serves one or more purposes or, in other words, one or more functions, for the individual. Therefore, understanding these functions can help in replacing unwanted behaviors with desired ones. In ABA, the providers’ goal is to reinforce preferable, alternative behaviors that meet the same need as existing unwanted behaviors.

Examples of replacing problem behaviors with desired behaviors per function:

Escape: If an academic task is too difficult for the learner, the task is broken into smaller steps, and the amount of work is reduced before obtaining a break. Therefore, we allow an opportunity for the learner to respond accompanied by sufficient prompts to guarantee a correct response. Subsequently, the learner obtains access to a break. This way, we suppress the opportunities to escape because the task is within the learner’s skill level.

Tangible: If a child kicks a piece of furniture to obtain a cookie, a behavior replacement would be pointing to the actual cookie or a picture of a cookie reserved for their communication. They can say vocally “cookie” or an approximation, or use sign language. If any of these techniques are used with sufficient prompts to evoke a correct response, the cookie must be immediately provided. Therefore, the child will learn that doing whatever was prompted will lead to a cookie in the future, and the problem behavior will cease as no cookie will be given when kicking occurs (extinction strategy).

Attention: If a child disturbs conversations constantly, a replacement behavior would be raising their arm to obtain a turn to speak. Reinforcing with praise for the new behavior is usually effective for attention-maintained behaviors. However, other forms of reinforcement should be considered if the problem behavior persists.

Sensory: The replacement of sensory stimulation is very specific to the individual, as it is normally replaced with their preferences for things or activities they like. For example, if a child engages in spinning their body, playing soccer or basketball, or swinging may help reduce the frequency and duration of the spinning behavior.

These strategies mentioned above are purely explanatory and are not considered clinical advice. Individualized treatment based on the function of the behavior is required by an ABA professional.