Escape-Maintained Behavior

One of the four main functions of behavior is escape. But what is escape?

Escape is often referred to as avoidance. It is the act of attempting to get out of or avoid an unpleasant situation that you do not want to be in. For example, a child may scream and yell if they are told to clean their room. Screaming and yelling is their way of attempting to get out of cleaning their room.

Escape typically occurs after an instruction or directive has been given, however escape may also occur if there are changes in the environment that indicate to the learner that something unpleasant is about to happen. For example, you may go inside your house if you notice storm clouds rolling in as an way of escaping the possibility of getting wet. The act of walking inside your house is escape-maintained.