week 4

MOTIVATION ASSESSMENT SCALE

Name: Rater: Date:

Behavior Description:

Setting Description:

Instructions: The Motivation Assessment Scale is a questionnaire designed to identify those situations in which an individual is likely to behave in certain ways. From this information, more informed decisions can be made concerning the selection of appropriate reinforcers and treatments. To complete the Motivation Assessment Scale, select one behavior that is of particular interest. It is important that you identify the behavior very specifically. Aggressive, for example, is not as good a description as hits his sister. Once you have specified the behavior to be rated, read each question carefully and enter the number in the box that best describes your observations of this behavior.

Questions	Never 0	Almost Never 1	Seldom 2	Half the Time 3	Usually 4	Almost Always 5	Always 6
1. Would the behavior occur continuously, over and over, if this person was left alone for long periods of time? (For example, several hours.)
2. Does the behavior occur following a request to perform a difficult task?
3. Does the behavior seem to occur in response to your talking to other persons in the room?
4. Does the behavior ever occur to get a toy, food, or activity that this person has been told that he or she can’t have?
5. Would the behavior occur repeatedly, in the same way, for very long periods of time, if no one was around? (For example, rocking back and forth for over an hour.)
6. Does the behavior occur when any request is made of this person?
7. Does the behavior occur whenever you stop attending to this person?
8. Does the behavior occur when you take away a favorite toy, food, or activity?
9. Does it appear to you that this person enjoys performing the behavior? (It feels, tastes, looks, smells, and/or, sounds pleasing?)
10. Does this person seem to do the behavior to upset or annoy you when you are trying to get him or her to do what you ask?
11. Does this person seem to do the behavior to upset or annoy you when you are not paying attention to him or her? (For example, if you are sitting in a separate room, interacting with another person.)
12. Does the behavior stop occurring shortly after you give this person the toy, food, or activity he or she has requested?
Questions	Never 0	Almost Never 1	Seldom 2	Half the Time 3	Usually 4	Almost Always 5	Always 6
13. When the behavior is occurring, does this person seem calm and unaware of anything else going on around him or her?
14. Does the behavior stop occurring shortly after (one to five minutes) you stop working or making demands of this person?
15. Does this person seem to do the behavior to get you to spend some time with him or her?
16. Does the behavior seem to occur when this person has been told that he or she can’t do something he or she had wanted to do?

Sensory Escape Attention Tangible

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

Total Score =

Mean Score =

Relative Ranking =

THE PURPOSE / FUNCTION OF THE BEHAVIOR

The motivational Assessment Scale helps determine the function of the behavior and will help you develop a theory. Remember that some behaviors may serve more than one purpose for a student.

The purpose of behavior is ATTENTION if it occurs when you are not paying attention to the child (e.g. you are talking to someone else in the room or talking on the phone) or when you stop paying attention to him/her.

The purpose of behavior may be ESCAPE / AVOIDANCE if it occurs when you ask the child to do something that he or she doesn’t like to do or want to do. It stops after you stop making the demand.

The purpose of behavior may be TANGIBLE if it occurs when you take away a favorite item, toy, food, or activity. It stops soon after you give the child a toy, food, item, or activity that he/she seems to like or has requested. It may occur when the child can’t have the item requested.

The purpose of behavior may be SENSORY if it tends to be performed over and over again in a rhythmic or cyclical manner. The behavior will tend to happen when there is either a lot going on in the area or very little (e.g. noise, movement, people, activity…). The student can still do other things at the same time as he/she is performing the behavior. The purpose may also be play if the child seems to be enjoying performing the behavior (e.g. smiles, laughs…) is in his/her own world and cannot do other things at the same time.