Quiz 2 (Ch. 2) Flashcards
Why should we measure behavior?
determine if treatment is necessary
-identify best treatment
-measure change in behavior following treatment
behavioral assessment
measurement of TB in modification, important for:
-measuring B before best treatment to see if it’s needed
-determines if B changed after treatment
2 types of behavioral assessment
indirect, direct
indirect assessment
interviews, questionnaires & rating scales to get info on TB
-relies on person’s recall of TB
direct assessment
person observes or records TB as it occurs
-preferred and is more accurate because observer is trained
-observers in indirect assessment relies on memories and may not be trained
steps to make a recording
1) defining TB
2) determining recording logistics
3) choosing recording method
4) choosing recording instrument
defining TB
-identify person’s B that constitutes behavioral excess/deficit targeted for change
-includes active verbs describing B
-doesn’t include internal states or intentions as they can’t be observed and are often incorrect
Why aren’t labels B?
-ambiguous, can’t be observed, used incorrectly
inter-observer agreement (IOA)
-two people independently observe B and both record behavior occurred
self-monitoring
observer is person exhibiting TB
-valuable when its not possible for observer to record TB when B occurs frequently or when no one is there
-can be combined w/ direct observation by other observer
observation period
observer records TB at time when its likely to occur
-indirect assessment information may indicate times
-determined by availability of observers or constraints imposed by client’s activities and preference w/ parent or guardian’s consent especially when it occurs w/o client knowing
What settings does observation or recording take place in?
natural, analogue
natural setting
consists of places where TB occurs
-more representative sample of B under normal circumstances
analogue setting
not part of client’s routine, involves separate room where stimuli or activities are controlled by experimenter
-TB may be influenced but more controlled and variables are easier to manipulate
Observation of TB can be…
structured or unstructured
structured
observer arranges for events or activities to OCCUR in observation period
unstructured
NO events, activities, or instructions given
recording methods
-continuous
-product
-interval
-time sample
continuous recording
observer records each occurrence of B
-identifies onset/offset, can choose 1+ dimensions
-time/labor intensive
Why should we measure behavior?
determine if treatment is necessary
-identify best treatment
-measure change in behavior following treatment
What dimensions are recorded in continuous recording?
-frequency
-duration
-intensity
-latency
frequency
-measured by counting times it occurs, one occurrence is one on/offset
-may be reported as rate (frequency / time of observation period) as response per min.
duration
measured by timing it from onset -> offset
-reported as percentage of time (duration / time of observation period)
real-time recording
time of each onset/offset behavior is recorded and has record of frequency/duration of TB and timing of each occurrence
-carried out after video recording on data sheet or software
intensity
harder to measure than frequency and duration as it doesn’t count or record time, but recorded w/ measurement instrument or rating scale
baseline
period during which TB is recorded before treatment is implemented
-more than 1 dimension can change after treatment
interval recording
record if B occurred during consecutive time periods
-divides observation period into smaller periods
-report percentage of intervals in which B was observed (#of intervals in which B occurred / # of intervals)
-don’t need to observe entire time
-bases rate of behavior on smaller amounts of data
types of interval recording
partial, whole, time-sampling
partial
observer scores interval if B occurred during ANY PART of interval
-not interested in # of times B occurs/last
-takes less time/effort, observer records B only once in interval
whole
occurrence of B in an interval is marked when it occurs in its ENTIRETY
-used for B expected to have long duration of occurrence and used infrequently and obtain a more representative sample of TB (6-10 sec.) than they derive from longer intervals
frequency within interval
observer records frequency of TB but does so within consecutive intervals of observation period
momentary time sample recording (MTS)
B is recorded only if it occurs the INSTANT THE INTERVAL ENDS
time-sample recording
divide observation period into intervals, but observe or record behavior during part of each interval
-observation periods are separated by periods w/o observation
-reported as percentage of intervals in which behavior occurred (# of intervals scored / total intervals)
percentage of trials/opportunities
of correct instances of behavior out of total # of times behavior could have occurred
-reports results as # of times B occurred / # of opportunities
-good to use when # of opportunities to perform behavior varies across observations
product recording
indirect assessment that records occurrence of B based on physical remnant of behavior
-observer doesn’t have to be present when behavior occurs
-doesn’t give info of how behavior was completed
recording instrument
what observer uses to register permanent product of occurrence of B
-pencil and paper w/ data sheet, each time B occurs on a day, observer marks x in a box
-# of boxes w/ x each day signifies frequency
examples of recording instrument
-golf stroke counter, stopwatch, apps
-barcode, coins
reactivity
recording B causes it to change before treatment
-may be undesirable because B isn’t representative in absence of observer or self-monitoring
-can be DESIRABLE when person records their B as part of self-management in desired direction
How to reduce reactivity?
-wait until client becomes accustomed to observer or let observer record w/o them knowing
participant observer
person who’s in setting when TB occurs or uses video recording
interobserver agreement (IOA)
2 people observe or record TB of subject in observation period and compare
-percentage of agreement between answers is calculated
-should be checked occasionally when direct observation and recording are used in non research settings
frequency recording
IOA calculated by dividing smaller frequency by larger
interval recording
check IOA in each interval by dividing # of agreeing intervals w/ total
agreement
2 observers recorded TB as occuring/not occurring in an interval
2 variations of IOA calculations for interval recording
occurrence only IOA, NONoccurrence only IOA
occurrence only IOA
intervals where observers scored B are counted as agreements
-intervals where observers didn’t score occurrence of B aren’t used in calculation
-more conservative measure of IOA on LOW rate B because its easy to agree on nonoccurrence by chance
nonoccurrence only IOA
intervals where observers agree behavior DIDN’T occur are counted as agreements
-more conservative for hIGH rate because its easier to agree on occurrence only by chance
How to calculate IOA for frequency within interval recording?
calculate percentage of agreement between observers for each interval (small frequency / larger), sum percentages of intervals and divide by # of intervals in observation period
