Observing and
Describing Behavior
Pre-Service Workshop
Contingencies of
Behavior
An observable pattern or
relationship exists between a
behavior:
1. The events which precede the
behavior
(Antecedent)
and
2. The events which follow the
behavior
(Consequence)
Observing and
Describing Behavior
Accurately specifying the
actions of a person, NOT
intent or motive
Verbally reflecting
behavior to youth in a
descriptive,
nonjudgmental manner
What are the circumstances
surrounding the behavior?
• What general activity is the person
involved in?
• When did the behavior occur?
• Where did the behavior occur?
• What were the conditions
immediately preceding the
behavior?
What exactly is the person
doing?
• Watch the person’s body.
• Watch the person’s facial
expression.
• Listen to what the person says.
• Watch the intensity of the above
behaviors.
Why is it important to be
Specific and Objective?
It makes the child aware of specific
appropriate and inappropriate
behaviors.
It helps the child understand what is
expected, thus increasing the
likelihood of success.
It helps staff develop strong positive
relationships with youth.
WHEN MAKING BEHAVIORAL
DESCRIPTIONS: (YOUR BEHAVIOR)
- BE SPECIFIC
- MAKE YOUR DESCRIPTION
REPEATABLE
- USE A CALM VOICE
- USE EXACT QUOTES OR “YOU SAID
SOMETHING LIKE . . . . “
- DON’T FORGET BODY LANGUAGE
- DESCRIBE THINGS NOT DONE
- DEMONSTRATE WHEN NECESSARY
- AVOID JUDGMENTAL AND NONSPECIFIC TERMS
Behavior
Comparisons
Vague Behaviors
Aggressive
Cooperative
Disrespectful
On Task
Horse Play
Good Citizenship
Obnoxious
Spacy
Responsible
Inappropriate
Specific Behaviors
Observing and Describing
worksheet
• Which of the following are not
specific descriptions of behavior?
(Rewrite the ones that are not)
– Joanne Looked down at the floor and
stuck out her lower lip when I told her
she couldn’t buy ice cream
– Manuel threw the book at Andre
– Jennifer is always getting into mischief
– Bobby is just plain stupid
Observing and Describing
worksheet
– Jackie left her coat on the living room
floor after school
– Aunt Mary is always nagging me
– Michael is selfish
– Susan was ten minutes late to school
today
– Denny is hyperactive
– Whitney shows a bad attitude in school
– Steve is a real problem when it is time
to go to bed
Observing and Describing
worksheet
– Elizabeth is a spoiled brat
– Lisa didn’t share her extra
notebook paper with Yolanda this
morning
– Jeremy took a long time getting
ready for school
– Cindy is a very will-behaved child
RESOURCES
Observing and Describing
Behavior
• Observing and Describing
Behavior
– The ability to accurately observe and
describe what other people do is crucial
for Family Teachers in several aspects
of their job. First, it is particularly
useful in the continual process of
evaluation that occurs from the time a
youth enters a program until the time
he/she leaves; secondly, it is extremely
useful in teaching youth new skills; and
thirdly, it may be beneficial for
interactions with parents, teachers, and
other community members.
Observing and Describing
Behavior
– The evaluative process you will be learning
involves looking carefully at those things a
youth does that are particularly appropriate or
inappropriate and then carefully specifying in
terms of overt behaviors what occurred, the
conditions under which the behaviors occurred,
and what the outcomes of the behaviors were.
The skills involved in this evaluative process
play an important role in the formation of
feedback that Family Teachers need to provide
for the youths in their program. Frequently, the
youths do not know what behaviors our under
what specific condition those behaviors are
likely to get them into trouble. It is the Family
Teacher’s task to provide feedback to the youth
on which behaviors might be helpful and which
might be detrimental for their success in the
community.
When to Observe and
Describe Behavior
•
Although the evaluative process is
a continuous one and you will need
to be generally aware of what each
youth is doing throughout the day,
you will find that there are certain
times when you will have to "zero
in" on behaviors. These times will
occur:
1.
when you notice something is
wrong (a problem exists),
2.
when you notice something is
particularly "right," or
3.
When you are watching a youth
practice a new skill.
Inappropriate Behaviors
Family Teachers usually identify the
existence of a problem when
something a youth does:
1. Conflicts with the norms of society
(laws, social codes, etc.),
2. breaks a rule in the home,
3. is physically harmful to an animal or
person,
4. is an extreme emotional reaction,
5. is aversive to others,
6. puts the reputation of the home in
danger,
7. will lead to negative consequences for
the youth, or
8. is not appropriate for the
circumstances under which it occurs.
• However, although a Family Teacher
may be aware that something is
wrong with a youth's behavior in a
given situation, he/she may be
unable to pinpoint the problem
immediately. The following is an
illustration of how a Family Teacher
couple used the skills of behavioral
observation and description to
pinpoint a problem behavior.
•
A Family Teacher began to notice that he felt
uncomfortable whenever he was giving corrective
feedback to Chris. When the Family Teacher initially
observed the youth, he found that Chris was using eye
contact, his posture was straight, his hands were still (not
fiddling with other things), and that he always gave an
appropriate verbal response after receiving feedback. All
of these behaviors were classified as appropriate by the
Family Teacher. The Family Teachers talked with each
other about the problem and while initially only one
Family Teacher had been bothered with it, they both
agreed that there must be some problem with the way
Chris was behaving.
During the next interactions
with Chris, one Family Teacher gave the fine while the
other observed Chris' reactions. After an observation or
two, it was discovered that while fines were given, Chris
would repeatedly clench and grind his teeth. Once the
behavior was defined, it was very easy to describe it to
Chris, to explain that this behavior made interacting
unpleasant, and to teach him to control his behavior when
receiving critical feedback. This is an important skill for
each youth to learn, for there will be countless times in
each of their lives when they will receive critical
feedback from parents, teachers, and employers and it
will be to their benefits if they can react in a reinforcing
(at least neutral) manner.
Appropriate Behaviors
•
Family Teachers also find it necessary to
zero in on appropriate behaviors as they
are emitted in the home. Attending to the
positive behaviors of a youth not only
forms the basis of a positive relationship
with that youth, but also points out to the
youth which behaviors are worth emitting
in similar circumstances in the future.
Generally, a behavior is appropriate if it:
1. is pleasing to you, other adults, and the
youth's peers,
2. is an attempt by the youth to learn a new
skill (e.g. maintenance tasks, academic
skills, social skills, self-care skills),
3. is an attempt to correct inappropriate
behavior or avoid some previous problem
behavior
4.
5.
6.
7.
•
is an approximation to an appropriate behavior,
follows a house rule or maintenance guideline,
is appropriate for the conditions under which it
occurs, or
Will lead to positive consequences for the youth.
In pinpointing appropriate as well as
inappropriate behavior, Family Teachers need to
consider the history of each youth, how long
each youth has been in the program, what
behaviors need to be changed the quickest, and
which behaviors are most in need of
reinforcement. With these considerations you
will probably be "zeroing in" on different
behaviors for each youth, developing a complete
behavioral description of the behavior, and
providing the youth with feedback on that
behavior.
Teaching New Skills
• Behavioral observation and descriptions
are also very useful for Family Teachers
when teaching the youth new skills. A
youth who is having difficulty in the
community may know only a limited
number of ways to respond in various
situations, and these responses may result
in unfavorable consequences for the youth.
By learning new skills, he/she can improve
his/her behavior in such a way that he/she
is more likely to receive favorable
consequences in the community. After you
describe a new skill to .a youth, you will be
asking him/her to practice that skill. While
he/she is practicing, it will be important for
you to observe and describe what the youth
does, to determine which of his behaviors
follow your description of the skill and
which do not, and then use these findings
as a basis for feedback to the youth.
Out of Home Contacts
•
•
Besides being useful in teaching interactions with youths,
observation and description skills are also important in
interactions outside the immediate home environment.
For example, it might be necessary to observe the
behaviors of parents or teachers while they interact with a
youth, define these behaviors for yourself and those you
have observed and then tactfully describe to the parent, or
teacher how those behaviors might be helpful or'
detrimental to the youth's progress.
Thus, in order to be effective in many areas, a Family
Teacher must know how to observe and describe
behaviors. Behavioral observation may be more difficult
than one would suppose; as a Family Teacher, you must
know what to look for when multiple behaviors of such
youths are occurring simultaneously or in rapid
succession and which of these behaviors are most
seriously in need of correction or reinforcement. To
provide the youths with complete feedback on their
behavior it will be necessary, while observing, to cue on
various aspects of a person's behaviors such that a
complex event can be broken down into its simplest
components. Here are three, questions to ask yourself
while attempting to carefully pinpoint the components of
the event:
1.
2.
3.
what are the circumstances surrounding the behavior,
what is the person doing, and
what is the outcome of the behavior?
The following are some cues to attend to for each of these
questions:
1.
What are the circumstances surrounding the behavior?
1.
2.
3.
4.
What general activity is the person involved in? Is he
playing cards, washing dishes, talking to a peer, etc.? Is
he using the proper materials for that activity?
When did the behavior occur? Was it appropriate for the
time it occurred? Does it frequently occur at this time?
Where did the behavior occur? Was it appropriate for the
place it occurred? Does it frequently occur here?
What were the conditions immediately preceding the
behavior? What happened just before the behavior
occurred? Was an instruction given? Was a request
pleasantly made; unpleasantly made? What did the other
person do?
2.
What is the person doing?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Watch the person's body. Attend to large body
movements like walking, running, sitting and
general posture. Also attend .to fine motor
movements like hand gestures, finger movements,
face touching. Watch any motor interaction with
the physical environment like manipulation of
objects. Also attend to absence of movement when
movement is required (e.g., failure to shake hands
during an introduction).
Watch the person's facial expression. Attend to eye
contact, eye movement, frowns, smiles, grimaces,
absence of expression.
Listen to what the person says. Attend to the
specific words used, the way he says them (e.g.
tone of voice), and other communicative devices
like sighs, laughs, etc. Attend to the absence of
speech (e.g. failure to acknowledge a request).
Watch the intensity of the above behaviors.
Attend to how often it occurs, how long it lasts,
and its magnitude (is the voice soft versus loud).
3. What is the outcome of the
behavior?
1. Is the youth involved in a self-care,
maintenance, or academic task? Attend
to whether the task was completed,
whether each part of the task is
completed in the correct order, whether
the area was cleaned up and all
materials put where they belong, and
attend to the condition of the final
product.
2. Is the youth involved in a social
behavior? Attend to what the other
people involved are doing and how
they are reacting to the youth. How
does the youth's behavior affect them?
Is the youth punished or rewarded for
his behavior? Is this a frequent
behavior pattern? Is this outcome
viewed as a problem?
• For example, if you have just described to a youth
(who had been having a problem correctly
emptying the trash) the task of emptying a trash can
and were watching her practice that task, you might
watch to see whether she picks up the trash can
liner with both hands (category 1.a). Although she
may not have any particular facial expression, you
might note whether her face is relaxed or whether it
shows displeasure (category l.b). Then you might
observe whether she ties the trash bag and carries it
outside, and when she returns, whether she puts a
new liner in the trash can (categories l.a and 3.a).
As is the case here, you will find that not all of the
previously mentioned cues apply to every situation
you will encounter. For example, it may not be
necessary to attend to what the youth was saying in
this case since conversation may not be an
important component of this task or the youth may
not be having any problems regarding
verbalizations.
Once you have observed a behavior, it will be
necessary to describe it in exact behavioral terms or put it
into words another Family Teacher or youth can clearly
understand. Often, behaviors are described in such vague
ways that the description can serve no purpose in helping
the youth. For example, describing a youth as "having a
bad attitude" when he/she is asked to complete a task,
may have one meaning for you and another meaning for
someone else. In addition, it does not describe the
specific behaviors which are appropriate (and should be
continued) or the behaviors that are inappropriate (and
need to be changed). When describing behavior, then it is
necessary to concentrate on observable events (those
listed in categories 1.a-3.b above) and to be specific. In
your description of the behavior you should reduce your
definition to a form where it could be repeated by
someone who had not originally observed the situation.
As a general rule try to eliminate all adverbs and
adjectives that do not add to the behavioral specificity of
the description. Replace the unnecessary adverbs and
adjectives with a more detailed breakdown of the
behavior. For example, instead of saying that a youth has
a "bad attitude" you might define his behavior as
frowning, saying things like "I'm not going to do that
lousy job," and slamming the nearest door when he is
asked to complete a task.
Here are some examples of vague
and specific descriptions of
behavior:
• Value Descriptions
• Theodore is always
sloppy
• Sue was friendly to Bob
• Steven teased his girl
•
•
•
•
Specific Behavioral
Descriptions
Theodore usually has his
shirt tails left out instead
of tucked in, his hair is
greasy. There is always
dirt under his nails and
since he doesn't wash his
clothes, they are
wrinkled.
When Sue saw Bob, she
maintained eye contact,
smiled and said "Good
morning," and asked Bob
if he would walk to
school with her.
Steven told his girlfriend
that he was going to pour
some water on her hair.
•
In the following examples of simple definitions of
behavior, circle the numbers of those which are specific,
behavioral definitions of behavior,
1. Susie is moody and disrespectful to me.
2. Kevin sits with his chin touching his chest during family
conference.
3. Mike slammed the door so hard that the picture shook on
the wall.
4. Harold and Jeff took a long time coming home from
school.
5. John was polite to the neighbor and his wife.
6. Steven answered the phone correctly when it rang.
7. Patsy rolled her eyes around and stared at the ceiling
while the Family Teacher was giving a point fine.
8. Paul did a poor job washing his face.
9. Kathy said to Mary, "Go jump in the lake" when Mary
asked Kathy to help her bring in the dishes.
10. Tim was 15 minutes late to class on three days last week Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
In the following description of a complex series of
behaviors, underline the descriptions that are
specific behavioral descriptions and circle the
vague descriptions.
The Family Teacher asked for a volunteer to
wash the dishes. John volunteered grudgingly. Then
he proceeded to turn on the cold water so that it
splashed on the wall, squeezed in too much soap,
and filled the sink halfway. As he stood by the sink,
he seemed to be in a bad mood. He said, "Why did I
volunteer for this?" (in a sarcastic tone) and "Hey,
does anyone want to do this?" He then wiped each
dish with his fingers and put it in the dish drainer in
a way which dishes could be easily broken if
disturbed. The dishes were not clean and he left the
area in disarray.
Second Hand
Observation
•
In many situations, the Family Teacher is unable to actually
observe a person's behavior first hand. There will be times when
youth in the home, parents, teachers, neighbors, and other
persons in the community observe a youth's problem behaviors
and the Family Teacher must obtain the required information
from those persons. There will be other times when one of the
youth has a problem concerning another person (parent, boy/girl
friend, employer, etc.) and the Family Teacher must determine
what the problem is in order to counsel the youth about how he
can improve these relations. In these cases, the information
obtained depends on the Family Teacher's ability to lead the
source to key on specific behaviors. The Family Teacher will
want to know the same information he/she might collect if
he/she had observed the behaviors first hand: body movement,
facial expression, verbalizations, intensity of the behaviors,
conditions surrounding the behaviors, and the final product of
the behavior. Thus the Family Teacher usually resorts to asking a
series of questions about these categories. However, it is very
important that the Family Teacher not play the role of
"interrogator." He/she must always maintain a comfortable and
positive working relationship with these sources and should thus
proceed tactfully. This is usually accomplished by interspersing
comments on the situation (e.g., this has happened before),
reinforcement for the provider of information (e.g., "I'm glad
you're telling me this), comments of situation e.g.., that must
have been a difficult situation) throughout the questioning
process, and give rationales to provider why specificity is
needed (e.g., we want to find a successful method of dealing
with this problem).
•
In general, the Family Teacher should listen to the
information volunteered and select those parts that will be
helpful when teaching the youth. If the person providing the
information fails to give a behavioral description of what
happened, it will be necessary to get them to specify the events
that took place in closer detail, either by questioning them about
the specific behaviors they observed or by reviewing with them
the sections of their Volunteered information that seems most
relevant. You should try to work your questions in a manner that
prompts your source to be behavioral and specific in their
answer. For example, if you say "What exactly is Bob's problem
in class?" you will be more likely to receive an accurate
description of the problem than if you say "What is his problem
in class?" So
by using words such as "exactly" and
"specifically" or phrases like "can you give me some examples
of..." you will not only receive more precise behavioral
descriptions, but also save yourself and your source valuable
time that might otherwise be wasted in asking non-behavioral
questions and receiving non-behavioral answers.
•
The Family Teachers should mentally run through the cues of
observing behavior and formulate questions that will obtain
specific descriptions of the observable events that took place.
Here are some examples of questions you might use:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
"What specifically did the youth (your parents,
your girlfriend, your teacher) do?“
"What exactly did she do physically?"
"What did he say exactly?"
"How did she look facially?"
"Exactly how long did this behavior last?"
"Have you noticed it occurring in the past?"
"Exactly how frequent is this behavior?"
"When exactly did this occur?"
"Where specifically did it occur?"
"Exactly what immediately preceded the
behavior?"
"Exactly what activity was the youth involved
in?"
"How did you react to this behavior?"
"How does this behavior make you feel?"
• As a general rule, whenever you receive a vague
answer to one of these questions, follow it up with a
more specific question. For example, if you asked,
"When did this happen?" and received the answer,
"Yesterday," you should follow this with the
question, "What time yesterday?" In addition, after
one problem behavior has been described, ask if
there is another one to be discussed. Here is a
fictitious example of a discussion between a Family
Teacher and a natural parent who is troubled by a
problem:
• Family Teacher: "What seems to be the problem,
Mrs. Jones?"
• Parent: "Karen just doesn't obey me.' (Vague
answer)
• FT: "I'm sorry to hear that. How does she not obey
you?" Parent: "She always comes home late from
her dates." FT: "She comes home late from dates?
How late is she?"
• Parent: "She is supposed to be home at 12 midnight,
and she is usually an hour to two hours late."
• FT: "I'm glad you're telling me about this. How
often does she come in late?"
• Parent: "Every night that she's home." FT: "How
long has she been doing this?" Parent: "Oh, just the
last two weeks."
• FT: "So this happens on Friday and Saturday
nights when she's home with you?"
• Parent: "Yes, and sometimes when she's staying at
her aunt's."
• FT: "Is there any particular person that she's dating
that might be connected with the problem?"
• Parent: "Yes, she just started dating this Bob Dolan
two weeks ago."
• FT: "This must be very bothersome to you."
• Parent: "Yes, I stay up and wait until she gets home.
I get very angry.“
• FT: "What does she say when she comes home
late?"
• Parent: "Well, she says that I shouldn't wait up for
her and that I should mind my own business."
• FT: "Have you done anything else besides
confront her at these times?"
• Parent: "Yes, I talk to her about it and tell her why
it's important to be home on time. I also take away
her next weekend's allowance, but that doesn't seem
to do any good. Her boyfriend has plenty of
money."
• FT: "Well, I'm certainly glad that you've told me
about this problem, Mrs. Jones, and I'm going to see
what I can do to help you solve it... Are there any
other problems you're having with Karen?“
The more specific her answers to your
questions are, the more information you will have
to set up a program to solve the problem.
Components of a
Description
•
In your behavioral description, there are certain components
of the behavior that should be included. These components
will differ according to various behavior categories. The
following is a list of various categories of behavior and the
components that you should include in your description of
this behavior:
1.
Verbal Behavior: The most desirable method of describing
what a person has said is to Quote him/her exactly. In this
way no one can falsely interpret your description.
Voice Tone: Since there is no behavioral method to describe a
person's voice tone, one has to rely on adjectives and adverbs
for description. Two dimensions of voice tone should be
described: "mood" - sarcastic, excited, happy, pleasant, etc.;
and voice "quality" loud, soft, harsh, clear, inaudible, etc.
Verbal Type: Many times you will want to describe verbal
behaviors such as yelling, teasing, interrupting, screaming,
etc. Using one of the above words alone is not sufficient
since each could be interpreted in many ways. The best way
to describe a verbal type is to mention the verbal type - he
yelled, he teased, and clarify it further by stating what was
said or at least summarize what was said - he yelled to Greg
to get off the phone.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Maintenance and Self Care Behaviors: In your descriptions
relating to this category, you should try to include a measure
of the final product of the behavior as well as breaking down
the behavior in its component parts (i.e., he cleaned his face
so that no dirt was visible anywhere; he did an incomplete
job of washing the dishes, leaving the dishes wet and on the
sink; he did a poor job washing his ears, but cleaned the rest
of this face well). A measure of the ongoing behavior is
important also (i.e., he brushes his teeth with up and down
strokes for three minutes).
Action Behaviors: In describing behaviors such as fighting,
running, following instructions, etc., it is important that you
include the following dimensions. The behavior should be
put in context by mentioning who was involved and where it
took place. A dimension of magnitude should be included
(ran fast, responded immediately, etc.) as well as a
description of how the behavior occurred (ran through room,
threw ball to Tobie across room, etc.)
Existing Conditions: This refers to ongoing conditions, such
as a person's attitude, where things are located, something
happening at the time (radio playing, etc.). Again, you should
use as many descriptive words as possible and specify
dimensions of magnitude how loud, serious, etc.) and give
examples of what you are referring to (i.e., bad attitude by
not responding to the FT's questions, etc.).
7.
8.
9.
Body Language: This refers to body posture and
facial expressions. Here you should try to include
specific components of behavior (eye contact,
clenched teeth, slumped back, wide smile, etc.)
as much as possible.
Describing Something Not Done: When you are
describing something a person has forgotten to
do, you should be as specific per appropriate
category as you would be if you were describing
the same behavior if it had been done.
In Context: In your descriptions of behavior be
sure that your description is in context. Simply
to say "Good eye contact: is not sufficient
because when the eye contact was there is not
specified. Sometimes the context is understood
as in a situation when a specific behavior (broke
a dish, said God damn it, etc.) only happened
once. However, when the context is not clearly
evident, be sure to include it in your description.
General Guidelines for Determining the
Appropriateness and Inappropriateness of
Behavior
I. A behavior is generally appropriate
when it:
– is reinforcing to you, another adult or
the youth's peers,
– is an attempt by the youth to learn a
new skill, such as learning maintenance
tasks, academic tasks or social skills, or
– is an attempt to correct previous
inappropriate behavior, an
approximation to a more appropriate
behavior.
II.
A behavior is generally
inappropriate when it:
–
–
–
–
–
conflicts with rules of society
(laws, social codes, etc.),
conflicts with rules of the
home,.
puts the reputation of the home
in danger,
is an aggressive or extreme
emotional reaction, or
is anything that your common
sense tells you is wrong.
III. Common appropriate areas of behavior should be
listed or reinforced:
•
Good eye contact:
–
•
Youth is looking at you during an interaction.
Obeying instructions:
–
•
A youth comes when the FT calls him/her or does
what he/she is told without delay.
Pleasant attitudes:
–
•
Smiles, responds enthusiastically, does something
an FLT requests in a pleasant manner without
frowns, sighs or arguments.
Politeness:
–
–
Answers door, phone, or introduces someone, etc,
in a polite way with good manners, appropriate
verbal and pleasant facial expressions.
Initiates interactions with other youth, FT, or
guests.
•
•
Putting things away where they belong.
Helping others:
–
•
Helps another youth or FLT on a specific
task.
Cooperating:
–
–
•
•
Plays games with others without arguing.
Works together without conflict towards, a
specific goal.
Kindness to animals.
Volunteering information:
–
–
•
Is honest.
Reports, describes situations completely, etc.
Control of emotional behavior:
–
During intense or conflicting situations.
•
Terminating conflicts:
–
•
Helps to stop a fight, suggests alternatives.
Correct maintenance and self care behavior:
–
•
Follows maintenance and self care guidelines.
Following house rules.
IV. Common Inappropriate Areas of Behavior
•
No eye contact:
–
•
Doesn't look at the FLT during an interaction.
Poor posture:
–
•
Slouches, head down, etc. during situations when
good posture is called for, i.e. interactions,
mealtimes, etc.
Not obeying instructions:
–
Doesn't come, hesitates when called or when
asked to do something.
•
Unpleasant attitudes:
– Frowns, sighs, groans, etc. in response to FT.
– Sulks, pouts, doesn't smile, doesn't respond to FT.
•
Being rude:
– Bad manners when answering door or phone, i.e., no
smiles, poor posture, harsh verbal, etc.
– Doesn't respond when spoken to.
•
Ignoring situations where help is needed:
– Doesn't help another youth or FT when help is called for
whether specifically asked for or not.
•
Arguing:
– Excessively uncooperative behavior without reaching
agreement.
– Disorderly verbal disagreement.
•
Fighting:
– Combination of verbal disagreement and physical force or
threat of physical force that would cause injury.
– Shoving, pushing, tripping, slapping, kicking, throwing
objects, etc.
• Unkindness to animals:
– Use of physical force that could cause injury.
• Dishonesty:
– Holds back information when asked or when it is
expected.
– Makes untrue statements with the intent to deceive.
• Uncontrolled emotional behavior:
– Yells, screams.
– Stomps, waves arms, throws things, distorts face, etc.
in an aggressive manner.
• Incorrect maintenance and self care behavior:
– Doesn't follow correct maintenance and self care
guidelines set down by FT’s.
• Cussing.
• Interrupting:
– Enters into a conversation with questions or
statements while another person is speaking.
Observing and Describing
First Hand Behavior
I. Behavioral Checklist
While looking at the tapes, attend to the following
behaviors exhibited by the youths:
– Body Posture: The position of the body while he/she
sits, moves or does things.
– Facial Expressions: Eye contact, frowns, smiles,
expression of anger, etc.
– What Is Happening In the Situation: The ongoing
description of the series of events and of the task (s)
accomplished. For example: The FT gave Sara an
instruction, Sara turned away, she cursed and cleared
the table...etc.
– The Frequency of the Behavior: How often is the
youth late, how frequently does she/he volunteer for
jobs, how frequently does he/she smile?
– The Magnitude of the Behavior: How many minutes
is the youth late, how seriously did engaging in a
specific behavior affect the youth's welfare as well as
the welfare of others?
II. Reminders to Help You Observe Behaviors and to
Describe It to Yourself:
– When describing the youth's behavior, avoid using
emotional terms and general terms such as "moody,"
"neurotic," "disrespectful," "immature," "poor
attitude," or "poor posture." Be specific instead and
describe "poor posture," for example, as being
"rounded shoulders, curved back and head down."
– Remember and describe the situation surrounding
and leading up to the behavior. This way you will be
able to identify the event(s) that facilitated the
occurrence of a behavior, and, if negative, you will
be able to help a youth respond more appropriately
once he/she finds him/herself in a similar situation.
For example, you have noticed that every time Pete
asks Tom "How was school today?" Tom says, "It's
none of your business" and then turns away. In order
to help Tom with his problem behavior, you will
want to be able to specify to him what the behavior
is, and also that it usually occurs when Pete asks him
"how school was," or a situation that leads up to the
behavior.
–
When observing a youth, make every effort
to focus also on the positive aspects of
his/her behavior even if the behavior is
mostly inappropriate. For example, if Lisa
doesn't respond once you give her an
instruction and she doesn't look at you, make
sure to notice also that she did not leave
when you were talking to her (positive
aspect) and that she came when you called
her (positive aspect), so that you will be able
to point it out to her along with a description
of the. negative behaviors. This way you will
be able to let her know what she is doing
correctly and you will not offend her.
Obtaining Second Hand
information
III.
What You Should find Out:
–
–
–
(The problem) What the Problem Behaviors
Are: What the youth does that gets him/her
into trouble, such as not following
instructions, always being late, talking
back, cursing, fighting with peers, etc.
(Where it occurs) Where the Problem
Behavior Occurs: In the natural home, at
school, over at grandparent's, etc.
(When it occurs) When the Problem
Behavior Occurs: On Fridays, during
dinner, during the math class, etc.
– (The circumstances) Under What
Circumstances Does the Problem Behavior
Occur: Whenever the gym teacher calls
her/him, when mother gives her/him an
instruction, etc.
– (Rate of occurrences) What Is the Rate of
Occurrence: Usually one night a week, four
times an hour, etc.
– (Seriousness) What Is the Magnitude of
Behavior: She/he is usually one to two hours
late, she/he usually disrupts the class so that no
one can get anything done, he/she gave his/her
sister a bruise.
– (Attempts to solve the problem) What Has Been
done About the Problem: We talked to
him/her about it, we send him/her to the
principal's office, etc.
– (Effects on others) What Effect Does the
Problem Behavior Have On the Observer( s),
i.e., Parents, Teachers, etc.: It makes us angry,
we worry about it, I am offended by it, it
disrupts my teaching.
Why is it important to
observe and describe
behaviors
• Aids in teaching
youth:
– Makes youth aware
of specific
inappropriate and
appropriate
behaviors
– Helps youth
understand exactly
what is expected.
Increases likelihood
of future success
– Lessens the chance
of arguments and
misunderstandings
• Aids in building
relationships:
– By describing
strictly behaviors
and avoiding
judgmental terms,
youth will view you
as concerned and be
more receptive to
teaching
– Studies how youth
prefer being told
exactly how and
what to do and youth
relate specific
positive feedback as
important
Observing and Defining
Behaviors
•A
– Activity of person?
– When? Time of day, before a
meal, before bed, in the morning,
etc.
– Where? At home, at school, at
Grandma’s, etc.
– Preceding conditions? Watching
TV, playing with siblings, etc.
Observing and Defining
Behaviors
•B
– Body movements? Walking
around, clenching fists, jiggling
foot, etc.
– Facial expressions? Smiling,
frowning, looking away, rolling
eyes, etc.
– Verbalizations? How loud,
swearing, abbreviations, etc.
– Intensity? How long, how often,
etc.
Observing and Defining
Behaviors
•C
– Rein forcers maintaining behavior
– Consequences decreasing
behavior
– Response of others?
– Task completed?
When a problem exists and
you want to correct it
When something is right and
you want to provide praise
and support for that behavior
When you are watching a
youth practice a new skill
When making behavioral
descriptions
• Be specific
• Word it so it could be repeated by
someone who had not originally
observed it
• Avoid using only general terms like”
bad attitude,” “poor posture,” etc.
• Demonstrate voice tone
• Quote exactly
• Describe body language
• Describe absence of behaviors that
would have been appropriate
Observing and
Describing Behavior
Pre-Service Workshop
This training presentation is available for download at:
www.utahparenting.org
© 2007 Utah Youth Village.