Matakuliah
Tahun
: Psikologi Diagnostik
: 2010
Behavioral Assessment
Pertemuan 10
Behavioral Assessment
• Core assumptions : behavior can be most effectively
understood by focusing on preceding events and
resulting consequence
• Emphasis that behavioral assessment places on
situational determinants of behavior
• In contrast, traditional assessment is often perceived as
more likely to view behavior as the result of enduring,
underlying traits.
• Thus Behavioral assessments are more direct, utilitarian,
and functional
Bina Nusantara University
3
Behavioral Assessment
• A typical behavioral assessment might include specific
measures of behavior (overt and covert), antecedents
(internal and external), conditions surrounding behaviors,
and consequences.
• This knowledge can then be used to specify methods for
changing relevant behaviors.
• Although some behavioral assessors might take selected
personality traits into account, these traits would be
considered relevant only if they had direct implications
for therapy
Bina Nusantara University
4
Behavioral Assessment: Scope and strategies
• The behavioral approach stresses that different behavior
disorders are typically expressed in a variety of modes
incl. overt behaviors, cognitions, changes in
physiological states, and patterns of verbal expressions.
• Different assessment strategies should be used for each
of these modes : behavioral interviewing, behavioral
observation, measurement of relevant cognitions,
psychophysiological assessment, and a variety of selfreport inventories.
Bina Nusantara University
5
History and Development
• Mid- to late 1960s
• The earliest forms of behavioral assessment focused
almost exclusively on observable behaviors
• Although organismic variables such as cognitions, feelings,
and psychophysiological responses were acknowledged,
they were not considered important influences on behavior
and, as a result, were not stressed in assessment and
treatment.
• Consistent with the then-dominant operant conditioning
paradigm in that it focused on identifying discrete
behavioral responses, target behaviors, and reinforcers that
could change specific behaviors
Bina Nusantara University
6
Assets and Limitations
• Relevance toward treatment
• Any measurement of problem behaviors is usually
directly tied to how these behaviors can be changed.
• Offers a wide range of possible techniques for use in
extremely varied contexts incl. self-reports, naturalistic
observation, physiological monitoring, structured
observation, and self-monitoring
Bina Nusantara University
7
Assets and Limitations
• Behavioral assessment is particularly appropriate when a
presenting problem is determined primarily by environmental
factors.
• In most cases, a clear, functional relationship (environmental
interaction) can be established. However, quite unique behavior
that occurs infrequently (i.e., violation of drugs or firearms in
schools) may be much more difficult to measure and monitor
• In addition, behavioral assessment is somewhat less relevant
when environmental factors account for a smaller portion of the
variance. This may be the case when organic factors may be
more important than environmental ones.
• accuracy of behavioral observation and interviewing can be
distorted
Bina Nusantara University
8