Introduction & Theoretical Background
Functional analysis examines the causes and consequences of behavior. One assumption of functional analysis is that behavior is contextual – it is influenced by the environment around the individual. Behavior has consequences and in operant conditioning terms these can be seen to reinforce or punish a behavior, making it more or less likely to occur in the future. This classic A-B-C functional analysis worksheet can be used to collect information about what came before a behavior (antecedents), the behavior itself, and the consequences of the behavior.