Question

what is a functional relation? How does this relate to the field of behavior analysis?

Answer 1

A functional relation can be seen as a situation where the value of a variable changes with another, and varies as the value of the other variable changes. This is useful in the case of behavioral analysis as it helps to Target the function of the behavior that an individual exhibits rather than the behavior itself. It is particularly useful in the case of children, where certain problem behaviors need to be assessed based upon their functionality and not merely the behavior itself.