Functional contextualism is the idea that the function of a behavior (the reason for its occurrence) changes with the context and situations with the environment. Before diving in further, let's review to functions of behavior:
Access to a Tangible
Access to a Tangible
In simple terminology having access to a tangible means the person wants to interact with a specific object or person in their environment.
If someone is on a bus and asks "Hi, do you mind if I sit there", they are requesting a specific seat; therefore, the function of their behavior is access to a tangible (the seat).
In a school setting, a child may say "Mrs. Smith, may I go to the bathroom?" In this case, the child is accessing Mrs. Smith by verbally saying her name, while requesting access to the bathroom. One could argue that this behavior serves the function of attention as well.
Access to Attention
In the context of problem behavior in the pediatric population, access to attention is often sought out in pejorative ways. It is important to note that the function of attention does not have the traditional context. This simply means that a behavior is reinforced by access to attention.
Some children, especially those with special needs, may throw things at their classmates or teacher(s) to access their attention. Reliant on the individual this behavior could be treated by teaching the child to raise their hand instead of throwing an object to obtain the teachers attention. This would result in the student accomplishing the same access to attention in a less harmful manner.
In the clinical setting, sensory-seeking behavior is fairly rare. The best “real life” example of this is roller coasters at an amusement park. In this case, if someone rides a roller coaster, the action of their behavior is “thrill-seeking” since they are seeking out the physical sensations associated with riding a roller coaster.
Escape/avoidance is relatively common. Below is an example from my own experience before becoming licensed (through clinicals).
I had a pediatric patient that had a co-morbid diagnosis (comorbidity is the presence of one or more conditions often co-occurring with a primary condition) of oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) and intermittent explosive disorder (IED).
He struggled in math, so when he was presented with a difficult math worksheet or problem, he'd become angry and trash the classroom.
Doing this allowed him the "escape" he needed to avoid doing his math work, because he did not like the way it made him feel.
running away from bees because you are scared means that you have an underlying cause due to a phobia that leads you towards "escape" and "avoidance" of being around them (Meliss phobia).
Now that we understand the idea of behavioral function, we can examine the idea of contextualism.
The idea of something in a specific context. This means the function of our behavior (why we do what we do) changes based on the context of our surroundings.
Some of may want to avoid mathematics if it is not taught by a specific teacher or professor.
People who have a phobia of snakes may be okay seeing them if they are behind an extremely thick piece of glass, as in a controlled environment, like a zoo. Due to this phobia, the same person would panic if they were to see a snake in the open without a barrier in between them.
The idea of functional contextualism serves as one of the main pillars of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
ACT will be one of our main focal points during our therapeutic work together.
Functional contextualism ni wazo kwamba kazi ya tabia (sababu ya kutokea kwake) hubadilika na muktadha na hali na mazingira. Kabla ya kuzama zaidi, hebu tuangalie kazi za tabia: Upatikanaji wa kitu halisi, katika usemi rahisi, kuwa na upatikanaji wa kitu halisi inamaanisha mtu anataka kuingiliana na kitu maalum au mtu katika mazingira yao. "Ikiwa mtu yuko kwenye basi na anauliza ""Halo, unakubali niketi hapo?"" anajaribu kupata kiti fulani, kwa hiyo tabia yake ni kupata kitu halisi (kiti)." Katika mazingira ya shule, mtoto aweza kusema "Bibi Smith, naweza kwenda choo?" Katika kesi hii, mtoto ni kupata Bi Smith kwa kusema neno jina lake, wakati kuomba upatikanaji wa bafuni. Mtu anaweza kusema kwamba tabia hii hutumikia kazi ya tahadhari pia. Upatikanaji wa tahadhari Katika muktadha wa tabia ya tatizo katika idadi ya watoto, upatikanaji wa tahadhari mara nyingi hutafutwa kwa njia za kudharau. Ni muhimu kutambua kwamba kazi ya tahadhari haina muktadha wa jadi. Hii inamaanisha tu kwamba tabia huimarishwa na upatikanaji wa tahadhari. Watoto wengine, hasa wale wenye mahitaji ya pekee, wanaweza kutupa vitu kwa walimu wao wa darasa au walimu ili kupata uangalifu wao. Kwa kutegemea mtu binafsi, tabia hii inaweza kutibiwa kwa kumfundisha mtoto kuinua mkono wake badala ya kutupa kitu ili kupata umakini wa mwalimu. Hii ingesababisha mwanafunzi kukamilisha upatikanaji huo wa tahadhari kwa njia isiyo na madhara. Katika mazingira ya kliniki, tabia ya kutafuta hisia ni nadra sana. Mfano bora wa "maisha halisi" ya hili ni roller coasters katika bustani ya burudani. Katika kesi hii, kama mtu anaendesha roller coaster, hatua ya tabia yao ni <unk> thrill-kutafuta<unk> tangu wao ni kutafuta nje hisia za kimwili kuhusishwa na kuendesha roller coaster. Kukimbia au kuepuka ni jambo la kawaida. Chini ni mfano kutoka uzoefu wangu mwenyewe kabla ya kuwa leseni (kupitia kliniki). Mgonjwa wa watoto mwenye ugonjwa wa pamoja (comorbidity ni uwepo wa hali moja au zaidi mara nyingi zinazotokea pamoja na hali ya msingi) ya ugonjwa wa upinzani wa upinzani (ODD) na ugonjwa wa mlipuko wa mara kwa mara (IED). Alipata matatizo ya hisabati, kwa hiyo alipopewa kazi ngumu ya hisabati au tatizo, alikasirika na kuharibu darasa. Kufanya hivyo kulimruhusu "kutoroka" alivyokuwa akihitaji ili kuepuka kufanya kazi yake ya hisabati, kwa sababu hakupenda jinsi ilivyomfanya ahisi. "Kukimbia nyuki kwa sababu unaogopa kunamaanisha kuwa una sababu ya msingi kutokana na ""fobia"" ambayo inakuongoza kuelekea ""kukimbia"" na ""kuepuka"" kuwa karibu nao (fobia ya Melis)." Sasa kwa kuwa tunaelewa wazo la kazi ya tabia, tunaweza kuchunguza wazo la contextualism. Wazo la kitu katika muktadha maalum. Hii inamaanisha kazi ya tabia yetu (kwa nini tunafanya kile tunachofanya) inabadilika kulingana na muktadha wa mazingira yetu. Baadhi ya watu huenda wakataka kuepuka hesabu ikiwa haifundishwi na mwalimu au profesa fulani hususa. Watu wanaopenda nyoka wanaweza kuwa na wasiwasi wa kuona nyoka wakiwa nyuma ya kioo kirefu sana, kama vile katika mazingira ya kudhibitiwa, kama vile bustani ya wanyama. Kwa sababu ya hofu hiyo, mtu huyo huyo angeogopa sana kama angetazama nyoka akiwa wazi bila kizuizi kati yake. Maoni ya contextualism kazi hutumika kama moja ya nguzo kuu ya Kukubali na Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT itakuwa moja ya vitu vya msingi vya mwelekeo wetu wakati wa kazi yetu ya matibabu pamoja.