The development and factor structure of the Functional Assessment for multiple causaliTy (FACT)

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 485 - 495
• Main Authors: Matson, Johnny L., Kuhn, David E., Dixon, Dennis R., Mayville, Stephen B., Laud, Rinita B., Cooper, Christopher L., Malone, Carrie J., Minshawi, Noha F., Singh, Ashvind N., Luke, Melissa A., Lott, Julia D., Matson, Michael L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult Education; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Behavior Problems; Behavior Therapy - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Elementary Secondary Education; FACT; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; functional analysis; Functional Behavioral Assessment; Humans; Intellectual Disability - complications; Male; Measures (Individuals); Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - etiology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Mental Retardation; Middle Aged; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Techniques and methods; FACT; mental retardation; functional analysis; Human; Factor analysis; Evaluation scale; Prediction; Psychometrics; Developmental disorder; Functional analysis; Test reliability; Mental retardation; Behavioral disorder; Test validation; Behavioral analysis; Intellectual deficiency; Principal component analysis
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2003.07.001

Since behavioral intervention is linked to the findings of a functional assessment, the reality of behaviors maintained by multiple functions is a frequent and troublesome issue for clinicians and researchers. Current methods of functional assessment provide little help in the way of providing information useful for prioritizing intervention strategies for problematic behaviors maintained by multiple functions. In an effort to account for this deficiency, we developed the Functional Assessment for multiple CausaliTy (FACT). The FACT is an informant-based, forced-choice measure designed to identify the most prominent function associated with the occurrence of problem behaviors. In the present study, we describe the factor structure and internal consistency of the FACT.
Suggestions are provided for future validation strategies.