Date of Award
12-2019
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Jonathan Baker
Second Advisor
Dr. Stephanie Peterson
Third Advisor
Dr. Amanda Karsten
Keywords
Dementia, geriatric, bizarre speech, functional analysis, home
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Currently within the behavioral gerontology literature there are no published studies that include a functional assessment in the home setting. The primary goal of the present study was to address this gap by conducting a functional analysis on a challenging behavior of an older adult with neurocognitive disorder in the home. This study occurred in two phases. During phase one, researchers conducted an antecedent functional analysis on the bizarre speech of an 81-year-old female with suspected dementia across four conditions (television on, no interactions initiated; television on, interactions initiated; television off, no interactions initiated; television off, interactions initiated). Results from the functional analysis showed that bizarre speech occurred most frequently during the television off, interactions initiated condition and least frequently during the television on, no interactions initiated condition. During phase two, researchers implemented a brief treatment analysis in which they alternated between a DRA and control condition. The DRA condition produced the highest percentage of talking intervals with no bizarre speech than did any other condition.
Recommended Citation
Norton, Emily, "Functional Analysis in the Home Setting of an Older Adult with Neurocognitive Disorder" (2019). Masters Theses. 5108.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/5108