Special Education 417/517

Direct Behavioral Observation

Basic Principles and Concepts A procedure in which observers develop

operational definitions of the targeted behaviors of interest, observe the subjects and systematically record their behavior.

Easily linked to the development of interventions.

IDEA requires observation in the evaluation of EBD

Provides functional information regarding the behavior and its environmental relationships

Methods of Observation

Naturalistic Observation Observe and record behaviors at time of

occurrence in natural setting Uses trained, objective observers Behavioral description system requiring little

inference Minimally intrusive School is highly conducive to this type of

observation

Methods of Observation

Analogue Observation Designed to simulate the conditions of the natural

environment Requires a highly structured and controlled setting

in which behaviors of concern are likely observed.

Indirect measurement procedure Examples – parent child role play interactions Generalization issues - / high degree of inference Allows for greater control of environment Requires structure of observational setting to

closely resemble natural environment

Methods of Observation Self Monitoring

Target child is trained in observing and recording their own behavior

Advantages – low cost and efficiency, can tap into covert private thoughts and its lack of intrusiveness

Disadvantages – reliability / validity, difficult to train child

Need to provide sufficient training, use formal observation forms, require minimal energy for self monitoring procedures, conduct reliability checks and reinforce subject.

Observational Coding Procedures How we record observational data. Four types most commonly used

Event Recording (frequency recording) Interval Recording Time Sample Recording Duration and Latency Recording

Event / Frequency Recording A count of how many times target behavior(s)

occur during the length of the observational period

Best suited for behaviors that: Have clear beginning and end Should take approximately the same amt of time

to complete each response every time the behavior occurs

Behaviors should not occur so frequently that it is difficult to separate occurrences

Can be used sequentially for ABC

Interval Recording Select a time period for the length of the

observation Divide the time period into equal intervals Record whether the target behaviors

occurred during each interval Example: 30 min. obs divided into 90 equal

intervals 20 second each Usually less than 1 hr long, intervals no more

than 30 sec long – Timing device needed Two types – Whole and partial interval

Interval Recording Whole interval: The behavior must be

observed during the entire interval to be recorded Good for behaviors that are continuous (on task

behavior) and intervals that are short to medium in length

Partial interval: Observer codes behavior if it occurs at any time during the interval Good for behaviors that are low frequency and

observed over fairly long intervals of time

Time Sample Recording Observation period is divided into intervals of

time (like interval recording) Behavior is observed only momentarily at the

prespecified intervals (e.g., at the end of a 1 minute interval – on task, not on task)

Intervals can be divided randomly or in unequal units

Useful for behaviors that occur at a moderate but steady rate

Time Sample Recording Advantages

Require only one observation per interval Less subject to the problems of getting off track Useful for teachers who need to do other things

during observation Disadvantages

Because you are only recording for a brief moment in each interval you can miss many important behaviors

Conclusions may be based on incomplete information

Duration / Latency Recording Focus is on the temporal aspects of the

targeted behavior Duration Recording

Focused on how long the behavior lasts (e.g., out of seat behavior, temper tantrums) Difference between a student who gets out of his seat

three times during thirty minutes and student who gets out of his one time for thirty minutes

Latency Recording Focused on how long it takes behavior to begin

(e.g., time between directive and follow through)

Validity Issues in Observation Defining a behavioral domain too broadly nor

too narrowly Scorer Generalization – Assessment data

may vary because of differences between scorers

Observer Drift – Tendency to depart gradually from original def. of how to code behavior

Need for Social Comparison Data – helps to determine nature and severity of the problem

Validity Issues in Observation Reactivity Problems – obtrusiveness

Observe on playground, enter at transition times, sit in back of room, adjustment periods

Situational specificity of behavior Use multiple settings if this is a concern

Inappropriate recording techniques The dimensions of the behavior and the recording

system used must mesh to a reasonable degree Biased expectations / outside influence

Be strong and objective

Functional Behavioral Assessment IDEA requires an FBA for students engaging

in behaviors that interfere with the educational process

Looking at the functional relationships between behavior and suspected causes of the behavior

Primary goal is to develop hypotheses about the probable functions that the behaviors serve and to test these Hx by implementing an intervention.

Functional Behavioral Assessment Phase 1 – Description – Determine settings,

frequency, intensity, duration, previous interventions, and educational impact.

Phase 2 – Function – Use information to form hypotheses regarding the function and use these to guide intervention

Phase 3 – Interventions – Start and monitor

Observational Coding Systems School Based

Child Behavior Checklist – Direct Observation Form 96 items rated on a four point scale following 10 min.

observation Event recording – written narrative during observation Time sampling – Record whether child was on task at

the end of each 1 minute interval Internalizing and Externalizing scores

Behavior Coding System Designed to measure patterns of coercive behavior and

aggression on playground and in classroom BASC Student Observation System (SOS)

BASC – Student Observation System 15 minute observational system designed for

use in classroom settings Defines 65 specific target behaviors that are

grouped into 13 categories 4 categories – positive adaptive behaviors 9 categories – problem behaviors

Uses momentary time sampling approach 15 minutes – 30 intervals of 30 seconds each At end of each interval child’s behavior is

observed for three seconds

BASC – Student Observation System At the end of the observation period, the

observer provides narrative information Drawbacks

No information on reliability No norms Limited information on the validity of the

categories Not useful for FBA – no antecedent information

Narrative Observation Observation in any setting where descriptive

narrative provides information on behaviors Common in assessment where formal coding

system is not necessary (overkill) or inappropriate

Flexible, provides ongoing analysis Include date, running time tally, activity

observed and play by play Easy to incorporate into reports

Behavior Rating Scales

BASC, CBCL, Conners, PIY

Characteristics of Behavior Rating Scales Less direct than observations or interviews They measure perceptions of specified

behavior by someone who knows child Parent, Teacher, Primary Caregiver, Self report

One of the most commonly used instruments in a socio-emotional / behavioral assessment

Ratings vs. Checklists

Checklists – A list of symptoms or behavioral descriptors that rater checks if present Checks are summed – additive in nature

Rating Scales – Allow rater to indicate if whether symptom is absent/ present, also to what degree 0=never 1=sometimes 2=frequent Allows for more precise measurement of

behavioral frequency or intensity

Advantages of Behavior Rating Scales Less expensive in terms of professional time and

training Provide data on low frequency but important

behaviors not always seen in observations More objective and reliable than interviews or

projectives Can be used to assess children who cannot readily

provide information about themselves Capitalize on observations over a period of time Capitalize on judgments and observations of

persons who are highly familiar with subject

Problems with Behavior Rating Scales Rating scales provide a portrait or general

idea of behavior. They do not provide actual observational data

Response Bias Halo effects – positive because of other positive

characteristic Leniency effects – overly generous or overly

critical Central tendency effects – proclivity to select

midpoint ranges

Problems with Behavior Rating Scalescont. Error Variance

Source variance – different raters have different ways of responding to the rating format

Setting variance – related to situational specificity of behavior

Temporal variance – behavior is likely to change over time as is informants approach to the rating

Instrument variance – different scales may be measuring different hypothetical constructs

Behavior Rating Scales

Behavior Assessment System for Children BASC-PRS, BASC-TRS, BASC-SR

Child Behavior Checklist CBCL-TR, CBCL-YSR

Conners’ Parent Rating Scales – Revised TRS – long / short, PRS – long / short, Self report

Personality Inventory for Youth