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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. FREQUENCY GRAPH
ORDINATE
ABSCISSA

7. BAR GRAPH (FREQUENCY)

8. CUMMULATIVE GRAPH

9. 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

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

11. Record Sheet as Graph

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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,

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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%