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Selecting, Defining, and Measuring Behavior

Selecting, Defining, and Measuring Behavior. Week 2: Seeing is Believing. Behavioral Assessment. Comprehensive multi-method of data collection to identify and define behavioral targets for change. Purposes of Behavioral Assessment. Screening

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Selecting, Defining, and Measuring Behavior

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  1. Selecting, Defining, and Measuring Behavior Week 2: Seeing is Believing

  2. Behavioral Assessment • Comprehensive multi-method of data collection to identify and define behavioral targets for change

  3. Purposes of Behavioral Assessment • Screening • Defining problems and/or desired achievement criteria • Pinpointing target behavior to be treated • Monitoring Progress • Follow up

  4. Consider Social Significance of the Behavior • Habilitation? • Maximize Reinforcement & minimize Punishment • Prerequisite to learning New behavior? • Increase Access to learning new behavior? • Facilitate Social Interaction? • Getting rid of aggression, increasing compliments

  5. Social Significance Considerations • Behavioral Cusp? • Reading • Pivotal Behavior? • Response Class • Age appropriate • Playing with a doll • Is this a real behavior of interest? • On Task, Losing Weight? • Replacement behavior needed?

  6. Prioritizing Behaviors • Danger to self or other • How “severe”? • How long has the problem been occurring? • Increase higher rates of R+? • Relative Importance? • Reduce Negative Social Interaction? • Behavior Produce R+ for others? • Likelihood of change? • Lit., experience, environment, resources? • How much will it cost? • SEE Figure 3.5 on prioritizing potential target behaviors

  7. Methods of Assessment • RIOT • Record Review • Interviews/Checklists • Observations • Tests

  8. Record Review • School Record • Permanent Products • Work Samples • Report Cards

  9. Determining Whether Permanent Product Is Appropriate • Is real time measurement needed? • Can the Behavior Be measured by Permanent Product? • Will obtaining contrived (if planned; e.g. tape recording) permanent product affect behavior? • How much will it cost?

  10. Interviews • Reliability is a concern • Can be used to generate hypotheses • Get direct data (i.e. independent observation) to corroborate

  11. Interviews Continued • What, When, where and How questions? No WHY? • What does the behavior look like? • When does it occur? • What happens before the behavior? • What happens after the behavior? • Where does the behavior occur? • Who is around? • What gets the behavior to stop? • When is the behavior likely NOT to occur? • How long does the behavior occur? • How frequently does the behavior occur?

  12. Rating Scales & Checklists • More reliable than verbal report • Used only as a “screener” • DO NOT USE ALONE FOR INTERVENTION OR DIAGNOSIS! • E.g. Behavioral Assessment System for Children • E.g. Diagnostic Inventory System for Children • E.g. RCMAS, CDI,

  13. Observations • This is not an anecdotalreport of what someoneobserved for a class period

  14. General guidelines for observations: • Don’t be intrusive. • Agree upon a clearly defined and observable behavior first. • Observe across days/times/settings to increase reliability. • Use with other forms of assessment to increase validity. • Carefully consider the goal of the observation before selecting an observation tool. • Always note the environmental context of the behavior. • Observe students in their natural environments. • Always observe peers for a comparison. • TRY TO REDUCE REACTIVITY!

  15. Observation “Systems” • Save your money • Very limited • Use direct behavioral systematic observation methods

  16. Direct Behavioral Observations • ABC Log’s • Frequency Tabulation Log’s • Systematic Interval Recording

  17. Examples of Direct Observations ABC Recording • Antecedents - what occurs right before the behavior. • Behavior - problem behavior (observable and defined) • Consequences - what happens right after the behavior

  18. Advantages of ABC Log • Frees up Practitioner • Allows for measurement that is inconvenient or inaccessible • May be more accurate/complete

  19. Examples of Direct Observations Frequency Count (RATE MEASURE!) • A measure of how often a clearly defined behavior occurs within a given period of time. • Examine the frequency of the behavior by tallying or counting the behavior as it occurs. • Use this when the behavior is discrete (has an obvious beginning and ending) and does not occur at very high rates. • This information is helpful at ALL steps of the problem solving process • ALWAYS MEASURE AS RATE WHEN POSSIBLE!!!!

  20. Examples of Direct Observations Systematic Data Recording • Examine percentage of target behavior by: • Recording when the selected student is engaging in target behavior during 10-second intervals for 15 minutes. • Peers are observed in the same way as a comparison. • Requires more training than the other observation tools. • This information is helpful at all steps of the problem solving process

  21. Systematic Direct Behavioral Observations: Interval Recording • Partial Interval Recording: Occurs anytime within interval • Whole Interval Recording: Occurs majority of Interval • Momentary Time Sampling: Within 3 seconds • Planned Activity Check: Frequency count of students at moment • Duration Recording: How long behavior occurs

  22. Target Child Composite Child

  23. Measurement Issues • Frequency • Rate when possible • If acquisition both accuracy and error rates • Duration • Total • Per Occurrence • Latency: S to R • Interresponse Time: R to R • Intensity

  24. Derived & Definitional Measures • Percentages • 40% of intervals observed • Trials to Criterion • 10 consecutive correct trials • Topography: Form/Shape • Magnitude: Force/Intensity

  25. Psychometrics of Behavioral Measurement • Validity • Reliability • Accuracy

  26. How to maximize valid and accurate data collection • Measure behavior continuously • Measure behavior the same time/place across observations • Measure with solid “system” • Train observers then train them again later • Minimize reactivity • Assess Accuracy of Measurement: Answer Key • Assess Reliability: IOA on 25-33% of sessions • 80-90%

  27. IOA: Event Recording • Total Count: • (Smaller/Larger ) x 100 • Mean Count Per interval • ( N IOA)/ n intervals • Exact Count Per Interval • (# Intervals of 100% IOA)/(n intervals) • Trial by Trial • (# Trials with Agreements/ Total number of Trials) x 100%

  28. IOA: Timing • Total Duration • (Shorter Duration/Longer Duration) x 10 • Mean Duration • (IOA Rn/ N responses )* 100

  29. IOA: Interval Recording • Interval by Interval • (Agreements/Agreements + Disagreements) *100% • Scored Interval • Calculate only when one of the two scorers scored something • Unscored Interval • Calculate only when one of the two scorers scored something Did not occur

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