Selecting, Defining, and
Measuring Behavior
Week 2: Seeing is Believing
Behavioral Assessment
• Comprehensive multi-method of data
collection to identify and define behavioral
targets for change
Purposes of Behavioral Assessment
• Screening
• Defining problems and/or desired
achievement criteria
• Pinpointing target behavior to be treated
• Monitoring Progress
• Follow up
Consider Social Significance of the
Behavior
• Habilitation?
– Maximize Reinforcement & minimize Punishment
• Prerequisite to learning New behavior?
• Increase Access to learning new behavior?
• Facilitate Social Interaction?
– Getting rid of aggression, increasing compliments
Social Significance Considerations
• Behavioral Cusp?
– Reading
• Pivotal Behavior?
– Response Class
• Age appropriate
– Playing with a doll
• Is this a real behavior of interest?
– On Task, Losing Weight?
• Replacement behavior needed?
Prioritizing Behaviors
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Danger to self or other
How “severe”?
How long has the problem been occurring?
Increase higher rates of R+?
Relative Importance?
Reduce Negative Social Interaction?
Behavior Produce R+ for others?
Likelihood of change?
– Lit., experience, environment, resources?
• How much will it cost?
• SEE Figure 3.5 on prioritizing potential target behaviors
Methods of Assessment
• RIOT
– Record Review
– Interviews/Checklists
– Observations
– Tests
Record Review
• School Record
• Permanent Products
– Work Samples
• Report Cards
Determining Whether Permanent
Product Is Appropriate
• Is real time measurement needed?
• Can the Behavior Be measured by Permanent
Product?
• Will obtaining contrived (if planned; e.g. tape
recording) permanent product affect
behavior?
• How much will it cost?
Interviews
• Reliability is a concern
• Can be used to generate hypotheses
• Get direct data (i.e. independent observation)
to corroborate
Interviews Continued
• What, When, where and How questions? No WHY?
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What does the behavior look like?
When does it occur?
What happens before the behavior?
What happens after the behavior?
Where does the behavior occur?
Who is around?
What gets the behavior to stop?
When is the behavior likely NOT to occur?
How long does the behavior occur?
How frequently does the behavior occur?
Rating Scales & Checklists
• More reliable than verbal report
• Used only as a “screener”
• DO NOT USE ALONE FOR INTERVENTION OR
DIAGNOSIS!
– E.g. Behavioral Assessment System for Children
– E.g. Diagnostic Inventory System for Children
– E.g. RCMAS, CDI,
Observations
• This is not an anecdotal
report of what someone
observed for a class period
General guidelines for
observations:
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Don’t be intrusive.
Agree upon a clearly defined and observable behavior first.
Observe across days/times/settings to increase reliability.
Use with other forms of assessment to increase validity.
Carefully consider the goal of the observation before selecting
an observation tool.
Always note the environmental context of the behavior.
Observe students in their natural environments.
Always observe peers for a comparison.
TRY TO REDUCE REACTIVITY!
Observation “Systems”
• Save your money
• Very limited
• Use direct behavioral systematic observation
methods
Direct Behavioral Observations
• ABC Log’s
• Frequency Tabulation Log’s
• Systematic Interval Recording
Examples of Direct Observations
ABC Recording
• Antecedents - what occurs right before the behavior.
• Behavior - problem behavior (observable and defined)
• Consequences - what happens right after the
behavior
Advantages of ABC Log
• Frees up Practitioner
• Allows for measurement that is inconvenient
or inaccessible
• May be more accurate/complete
Examples of Direct Observations
Frequency Count (RATE MEASURE!)
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A measure of how often a clearly defined behavior occurs within a given
period of time.
Examine the frequency of the behavior by tallying or counting the behavior as
it occurs.
Use this when the behavior is discrete (has an obvious beginning and ending) and
does not occur at very high rates.
This information is helpful at ALL steps of the problem solving process
ALWAYS MEASURE AS RATE WHEN POSSIBLE!!!!
Examples of Direct Observations
Systematic Data Recording
– Examine percentage of target behavior by:
• Recording when the selected student is engaging in target
behavior during 10-second intervals for 15 minutes.
• Peers are observed in the same way as a comparison.
– Requires more training than the other observation
tools.
– This information is helpful at all steps of the
problem solving process
Systematic Direct Behavioral Observations:
Interval Recording
• Partial Interval Recording: Occurs anytime
within interval
• Whole Interval Recording: Occurs majority of
Interval
• Momentary Time Sampling: Within 3 seconds
– Planned Activity Check: Frequency count of
students at moment
• Duration Recording: How long behavior occurs
Target Child
Behavior
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Composite Child
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Behavior
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Measurement Issues
• Frequency
– Rate when possible
– If acquisition both accuracy and error rates
• Duration
– Total
– Per Occurrence
• Latency: S to R
– Interresponse Time: R to R
• Intensity
Derived & Definitional Measures
• Percentages
– 40% of intervals observed
• Trials to Criterion
– 10 consecutive correct trials
• Topography: Form/Shape
• Magnitude: Force/Intensity
Psychometrics of Behavioral
Measurement
• Validity
• Reliability
• Accuracy
How to maximize valid and accurate
data collection
• Measure behavior continuously
• Measure behavior the same time/place across
observations
• Measure with solid “system”
• Train observers then train them again later
• Minimize reactivity
• Assess Accuracy of Measurement: Answer Key
• Assess Reliability: IOA on 25-33% of sessions
– 80-90%
IOA: Event Recording
• Total Count:
– (Smaller/Larger ) x 100
• Mean Count Per interval
– ( N IOA)/ n intervals
• Exact Count Per Interval
– (# Intervals of 100% IOA)/(n intervals)
• Trial by Trial
– (# Trials with Agreements/ Total number of Trials) x 100%
IOA: Timing
• Total Duration
– (Shorter Duration/Longer Duration) x 10
• Mean Duration
– (IOA Rn/ N responses )* 100
IOA: Interval Recording
• Interval by Interval
– (Agreements/Agreements + Disagreements) *100%
• Scored Interval
– Calculate only when one of the two scorers scored
something
• Unscored Interval
– Calculate only when one of the two scorers scored
something Did not occur