Behavior Management: Examining the Functions of Behavior

Appropriate student behavior is essential for the success of a physical education lesson. Despite using effective proactive management strategies, teachers may need to also use reactive techniques to reduce problem behaviors by applying suitable consequences. For these consequences to be effective, they must be aligned with the function, or cause, of the behavior. Otherwise, the consequences may be ineffective in reducing misbehavior or, in some cases, may actually make matters worse. Researchers in the field of behavior analysis propose four functions of misbehavior: (1) attention, (2) access, (3) escape, and (4) sensory stimulation. Once a teacher is able to determine the function of an inappropriate behavior, he or she will be able to implement consequences addressing that function. This article describes the functions of behavior, how to determine each behavior's function(s), and strategies to manage students' inappropriate behavior based on its function.