Abstract
Behavioral observation is the systematic recording of behavior by an external observer. The systematic nature of behavioral observation is characterized by carefully detailed procedures that are designed to collect reliable and valid data on client behavior and the factors that control it (Barrios, 1993; Tryon, 1998). For example, nursing staff in a hospital setting might record the number of times that a patient yells or acts aggressively so that the effects of a behavioral management program can be evaluated. Similarly, a clinician may request that the parents of a child with enuresis record the time, date, and location of incontinent occurrences so that the timing of prompts and bathroom trips can more effectively be arranged in an intervention. Finally, observers may be stationed in a classroom to record the extent to which a child with behavioral problems exhibits on-task and off-task behaviors.
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Suggested Readings
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© 2000 Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers
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Haynes, S.N., O’Brien, W.H. (2000). Principles and Strategies of Behavioral Observation. In: Principles and Practice of Behavioral Assessment. Applied Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-47469-9_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-47469-9_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0971-1
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