Direct Behavioral Assessment: What to Record and How Psy 407 Direct Behavioral Assessment: What to Record and How

Characteristics: Topography FORM FORCE The _______, ______, or _________ that a particular response takes. Golf swing Backstroke Important in teaching physical skills Craftsmanship, athletics, surgery, hobbies DURATION

Characteristics: Amount Frequency The number of occurrences per time period Often used synonymously with ________ The behavioral event must be discrete: it has a __________ and an ____ ; each occurrence is essentially similar ; opportunity or availability for responding Plural nouns, “like”, passes caught, questions finished, spelling mistakes, tantrums, etc. RATE BEGINNING END

Recording frequency Operationally defining the behavior 1. __________________ 2. ____________ and an end, 3. specific _________________ Prepare a recording sheet that indicates Date, time, location, observer, behaver A place to tally each occurrence Mechanical counting of the event Golf counter, electronic counter, sensory device Transfer items from one place to another Count the number of products Scratches, items broken, widgets produced, etc. Maintain a record of the frequency Every hour? A daily tally? Weekly The problem with memory OBSERVABLE BEGINNING TOPOGRAPHY

The Frequency graph ORDINATE THE ___________= left hand vertical axis The “frequency” or “how many” THE ______________ = the horizontal axis Indicates “time” or “opportunities” Each “tally” score from your recording is represented by a data point ABSCISSA

FREQUENCY GRAPH ORDINATE ABSCISSA

BAR GRAPH (FREQUENCY)

CUMMULATIVE GRAPH

The Cumulative graph Same axes as the frequency but the ordinate ( the count) score for any data point is _________ onto the value of the previous data point ( IE. the score “accumulates”. A record of all occurrences to date. When a given tally is zero, the graph line is ____________ ( can never be a value lower than the last data point) Change in the slope shows us changes in rate (acceleration or deceleration) ADDED HORIZONTAL

CUMMULATIVE GRAPH Each sessions data is added to the last Zero responding is a flat line

Record Sheet as Graph

Characteristics: Amount Duration of behavior How long does it ________ as opposed to how often it occurs For performances consisting of several responses, Which one(s) constitute an occurrence? Watching TV, Paying attention, Running, talking, tantruming, taking breaks Clocks, stop watches, timers What is better frequency or duration? Reading? Studying? Solving problems? LASTS

Characteristics: Intensity Typically measured with instrumentation Decibel meter- loudness Dynamometer- force (grip) Radar unit :Pitching speed; Puck speed OUTCOMES : Number of blocks broken Associated with physical skills

Characteristic: Stimulus Control When a specified response occurs _______ in the presence of a specified condition or setting The response is already in the repertoire (E.G., answering phone) Topography or function? How ya doin? Como Vai? S’up? Hey there! How YOU Doin? ONLY

Characteristic: Latency TIME How much _____ passes until a behavior occurs after a specific condition “cue” (a stimulus) is presented. Time to begin studying after entering Library “Leaving the block” in sprinting Reflex- goal tending, batting Typically measured with Clocks, Timers, stop watch

Characteristic: Quality Combination of topography, Latency, Intensity or product “Form” in gymnastics , figure skating, diving Form of a student’s handwriting Latency, form and speed in a “thrust kick” Timing of body movement and its form with voice intensity and tone in stage acting Number of citations and completeness of their description and relevance to a theme in a term paper

Recording Methods: Continuous Recording OCCURRENCE Recording every ______________ of a behavior during a specified time segment. A training session, for one hour, for a mealtime, a game Requires constant monitoring Note: You are not looking when you are recording Can you detect every possible occurrence? Related to your definition Can you observe in every relevant situation? Time and resources,

Recording Methods: Interval Recording A specific block of _____ (E.G., 30 minutes) is sub-divided into smaller equal __________ (E.G., 1 minute segments). Only the first occurrence of the behavior is recorded for any interval regardless of how many occurrences or the duration of any occurrence TIME INTERVALS

Recording Methods: Time sampling A behavior is recorded as ________ or not ___________ during very brief time samples which are themselves separated by much longer time intervals. E.G., Is Bob “off task” when observed for 1 minute out of every hour during the school day? OCCURRING OCCURRING

Recording Methods: SAMPLING INTERVAL Time ___________and ________ recording are often combined E.G., Observing during a 30 minute session. Each minute is divided into 3 10 second observation intervals each separated by 3 ten second recording intervals. Each behavior occurrence, (or only the first) during observation intervals is recorded during the “record” intervals. (requires pre-recorded tapes, headphones, recording 1 or 0.

Accuracy of Observation VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE ACCURACY Response ___________ : Too vague, incomplete, too detailed Observation ____________ : Distractions, obstructions, interference Observer ______________ : Untrained, Biased, Unmotivated, Incompetent Data sheets & recording _____________: Poorly designed or cumbersome DEFINITION SITUATION COMPETENCY PROCEDURES

Accuracy of Observation Inter-observer Agreement (IOA) (Reliability) Two observers conduct the same observations using identical ___________ and procedures. Precautions are taken to prevent them from knowing what each other are __________. How well do their recorded observations __________ ? How do we ____________ that agreement? DEFINITIONS RECORDING AGREE CALCULATE

Accuracy of Observation Inter-observer Agreement (IOA) Total number of behaviors or intervals during a recording session recorded E.G., Observer 1= 30; Observer 2 = 25 IOA= 25/30*100 = 83.33% Are the actual agreements and disagreements (25), (5), the same? NO! but for frequencies it’s all we have

Accuracy of Observation Inter-observer Agreement (IOA) For interval recording we can compare each ____________ for agreement. E.G., out of 60 observation intervals Observer 1= 30; Observer 2 = 25 Of Obs 1’s 30 Obs 2 also scored 20 5 of Obs 2’s 25 were not recorded by Obs 1 Both observers agreed no behavior occurred on 15 intervals INTERVAL

By total interval comparison: Calculating IOA IOA by total score = 83.3 % By total interval comparison: They agreed on 20 occurrences and 25 non-occurrences =45/60 = 75 % By occurrence intervals only: They agreed on only 20 ; IOA = 66 % When behavior is of ______ occurrence, including non-occurrence intervals will ___________ IOA scores Publication standards for IOA are________ ON _________ of all observations. LOW INFLATE 80 –100% 20%-30%