Problem: The student speaks out of turn, shows off, or engages in other apparent attention-seeking behavior.

Please review the list of possible explanations to the problem. Click on a possibility to learn about relevant observations and experiments to further determine the source of the problem There are 3 categories: Cognitive/Self-Regulatory, Behavioral, Social-Emotional

Click on "MORE" after any of these possible explanations to view suggestions for exploring that possible explanation.

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibilities:

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #1: Inhibition impairment: Some students may engage in apparent attention-seeking behavior as a result of inhibition impairment (i.e., impulse-control problems). (See Tutorials on Self-Regulation, Inhibition.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #2: Inflexibility: Some students may engage in apparent attention-seeking behavior as a result of difficulty with change; they may be rigid and inflexible; they may have particular difficulty with novel versus routine tasks. (See Tutorial on Flexibility.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #3: Generally weak cognitive functioning: Some students may engage in apparent attention-seeking behavior as a result of excessive demands placed on their memory, organizational ability, academic skill, or other cognitive ability. (See Tutorials on Cognition, Memory, Organization.) MORE...

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Behavioral Possibilities:

Negative behaviors can serve a variety of possible purposes, including (1) to escape something (e.g., escape a person, place, activity, demand, sensory environment), (2) to gain access to or acquire something (e.g., gain access to a person, place, activity, thing, attention), (3) to gain control or power, (4) to gain peer attention, approval, or admiration, (5) other. Each of these possibilities can be explored experimentally in a way that is similar to the other experimental explorations outlined on this web site. In the case of negative behaviors, this exploration is called functional behavior assessment. MORE...

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Social-Emotional Possibilities

Social-Emotional Possibility #1:Depression: Some students may engage in apparent attention-seeking behavior because they are upset, depressed, and/or lack positive relationships with peers and/or adults. (See Tutorials on Depression; Friendship.) Young children often manifest depression by acting out. MORE...

Social-Emotional Possibility #2: Anxiety: Some students may engage in apparent attention-seeking behavior as a result of anxiety. (See Tutorial on Anxiety.) MORE...

Social-Emotional Possibility #3: Frustration: Some students may engage in apparent attention-seeking behavior as a result of feeling frustrated. (See Tutorial on Frustration.) MORE...

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