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Behavioral Observation Methods, Assessment

Behavioral observation is a widely used method of behavioral assessment. Unlike other methods of behavioral assessment, most of which rely on people's perceptions of behavior, behavioral observation involves watching and recording the behavior of a person in typical environments (e.g., classrooms). The assumption is therefore that data collected are more objective than are perceptions. Most methods of behavioral observation provide quantitative and objective data that can be used to determine current levels of behavior, to set goals for behavioral improvement, and to measure change following intervention plans.

Depending on the nature of the behaviors of concern, observers may be interested in any one or a combination of several characteristics related to the behavior. The most common characteristic observed is frequency, or how often a behavior occurs. Other characteristics include magnitude (how intense a behavior is) and duration (how long a behavior lasts). A behavior change agent might be interested in reducing the frequency of a problem behavior, reducing its intensity, or reducing its duration. Regardless of which characteristic is observed, it is important to measure that characteristic consistently throughout the behavior intervention process.

Anecdotal (ABC) Recording

One exception to the suggestion that behavioral observation methods produce objective and quantifiable information about behaviors is anecdotal recording. Anecdotal recording involves recording and interpreting a narrative of behavior during an observation period using an antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) format for interpreting behavior. To conduct an anecdotal observation, an observer records all behaviors observed, along with what was observed to occur before and after the behaviors. For this type of observation, it is important that only observable behaviors are recorded. No inferences about behaviors should be made. For example, if a student is observed to slam her book closed, the observer should record “slammed book closed,” rather than “student frustrated.” Either during or after the observation period, it is helpful to arrange observations into a chart that specifies behaviors, antecedents (what happened prior to the behavior), or consequences (what happened as a result of the behavior). It is also helpful to keep track of the time at which behaviors were observed to occur.

Anecdotal recording is a method of choice when behaviors of concern are unclear. In other words, if one is unsure about the exact nature of a behavioral concern, anecdotal recording allows the observer to include observations of all behaviors. This is often a necessary first step in targeting particular behaviors for more focused or structured observation. Once behaviors of concern are pinpointed, however, the subjective and effuse nature of anecdotal recording makes it unsuited for continued use. At that point, the methods of choice are those that provide more quantitative and objective data. These methods are discussed below.

Interval Recording Methods

Interval recording methods produce a record of the number of intervals during which a behavior is observed to occur. There are three basic variations on interval recording—partial-interval recording, whole-interval recording, and momentary time sampling—but all focus on observing the frequency of the behavior, and all use simple yes or no counts of whether a behavior was observed to occur during each interval.

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