Sequential analysis was used to conduct a functional analysis of positive and negative behaviors of five prenatally drug-exposed preschoolers while interacting with their mothers and with an unrelated adult on separate occasions. Videotaped interactions were coded for positive and negative verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Functional relations between child's target behaviors and adults' antecedent and consequent behaviors were identified and resulted in positivecompliant and negative-coercive classes of behavior. All dyads demonstrated positive-compliant patterns. Two mother-child dyads engaged in extended sequences of negative-coercive interactions whereas the unrelated adult terminated negative exchanges quickly. These sequential data suggest the need for developing specific behavioral training programs for mothers of drug-exposed children and other significant adults. 0 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This study used sequential analysis to conduct a functional analysis of mother-child behaviors among five prenatally drug-exposed preschoolers. We observed the children with their mothers and a familiar noncaregiver adult on separate occasions in order to examine the contingencies of positive and negative child behaviors.
Functional analysis has been a critical component of behavioral assessment and therapy 1987;. Functional analysis of behavior is defined as "the identification of important, controllable, causal functional relationships applicable to a specified set of target behaviors for an individual client" (Haynes & O' Brien, 1990, p. 654). Although functional analysis has played a key role in behavioral assessment, inter-clinician agreement on hypothesizing controlling variables and in formulating treatment proposals has been poor .
Sequential analysis can be used to conduct a reliable functional analysis so that predictable temporal patterns of behavior are identified . In the case of dyadic interactions, sequential analysis is used to identify a member's behavior that precedes and is predictive of the increase or decrease of his or her partner's consequent behavior (Jacob & Leonard, 1992). To the extent that these interactive patterns can be reliably identified, individual behaviors can be explained as "controlling stimuli" between partners.
Several studies have used sequential analysis to identify functional relations between parent and child behavior problems. Child behavior problems have included aggression, depression, and noncompliance . For example, in a case study with two preschoolers, found that when mothers exhibited commands and disapprovals, their children tended to immediately respond with commands and physical aggression. Furthermore, when mothers responded to these child negative behaviors