observation knr 279 stumbo, 2002. observation as assessment therapist observes client’s behaviors...
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Observation
KNR 279Stumbo, 2002
Observation as Assessment
Therapist observes client’s behaviors Directly Indirectly
Primary reason is to record behavior Not perceptions/thoughts/feelings/motives like in interview Looks at behavior in as real life situations as possible
Typically uses recording systems to shorten time recording observations
Advantages? Disadvantages?
ADVANTAGES
Record behaviors that occur naturally in the environment
Generalize behaviors to community Can be used with children or others with
verbal or thought processing problems
DISADVANTAGES
Cost in staff time Fitting observer unobtrusively into setting Potential subjectivity or bias of observer Determining meaningful behaviors to observe Inability to determine meaning
Systematic Observation
Differs from casual observation Has a specific purpose
Collect data about clients
Targets certain behaviors Records behaviors systematically Has concerns of reliability & validity
USE SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION TO:
Document typical client performance or behavior
Document unusual behavior Confirm results of another assessment
Triangulation Compare clients’ behaviors
Steps to Developing Systematic Observations
Determine sample behavior that is important to observe
Determine procedures for collecting, organizing, & analyzing data
Who, where, for how long, under what circumstances, how many occasions
Record behavior immediately to minimize dependence on memory & preserve detail of behavior
Determine conditions under which behavior will be observed
Natural (e.g., community outing) or contrived Obtrusive or unobtrusive Mechanical (e.g., videotape) or human
Steps to Developing Systematic Observations
Determine data collection instrument Recording methods Recording techniques Pilot test Reliability Validity Protocol
Train staff as observers
OBSERVATIONAL RECORDING METHODS
Checklists Rating scales Anecdotal records Critical incident reports
CHECKLISTS
Record if present or absent Useful to assess mastery of concrete learning
tasks Leave little room for interpretations Easy to administer, score, interpret Inter-rater reliability tends to be high Difficult to define behaviors
RATING SCALE
Similar to checklists, but can indicate degree Fairly easy to administer and score if well-
constructed Hard to construct Personal biases enter into rating Between 4-6 points should be provided
ANECDOTAL RECORDS
Provide snapshots of actual behavior in natural situations that are significant indicator of total behavior
Allows recording of environment, antecedents, and consequences of behaviors
Allow recording in non-standardized form Can be time consuming Hard to be objective
ANECDOTAL RECORDS cont.
Difficulty in deciding level of detail to record Inconsistent wording used Difficulty collating and analyzing Determine in advance what to observe, but
be alert for unusual behavior Develop procedures for coding Train observers
Critical Incident Reports
Differ from anecdotal records Used to record unusual situations/behaviors Recording antecedents, behavior, and
consequences is required Factual information kept separate from
interpretation Often used in SRAs for behavior management
plans See Stumbo, 2002, p. 229
OBSERVATION RECORDING TECHNIQUES
Frequency/tally Duration Interval Instantaneous time sampling
Frequency/Tally
Records number of times a behavior occurs Behavior needs to be clearly defined Need to determine if behaviors are significant
enough to observe Can use if observe more than one person at
a time See Stumbo, 2002, p. 230
Duration
Used when length of behavior is important Stop watch can be used Behaviors must be clearly defined &
observable for a period of time See Stumbo, 2002, p. 231
Interval
Focuses on frequency and duration of behaviors
Determine size of intervals on basis of how often the behavior occurs
If behavior occurs in interval, mark is recorded
Stumbo, 2002, p. 232
Instantaneous Time Sampling
Used when observer enters & exits observation area periodically
Observer does not have time for lengthy observation
Many individuals can be observed at once Patterns of behavior is important Look for absence or presence of behavior
See Stumbo, 2002, p. 233
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