(4-28-09)
Guest lecture on Behavioral Assessment: observation, self-monitoring, role-laying
Observational assessment
in situ assessment, naturalistic observation
- possible advantages:
- focus on overt, “objective” events of immediate clinical relevance: if clear, reliable, valid categories for observation are constructed
- deals with situational specificity of much human behavior: if relevant settings/times to observe are chosen
- captures the environment aspect of the person x environment interaction: if meaningful stimuli as well as responses are recorded
- issues:
- labor intensive
- possible reactivity to observation
- observer reliability, observer drift
- Common variations: parental observation of children; spousal/partner observation
- Pragmatic/how-to considerations:
- frequency/duration/severity (intensity) measures
- time sampling/frequency & scheduling
- records and analysis (what do you do with the data after you have it)
Self-monitoring by clients
- possible advantages:
- gather naturalistic data
- contribute to greater client self-awareness/client education
- more practical than extrinsic observation
- private events (thoughts, feelings) can be assessed
- issues:
- reliability
- reactivity
- effort needed by client/resistance
- Pragmatic/how-to considerations:
- immediate recording more accurate
- paper-and-pen vs. electronic (PDA’s, smart phones, texting)
- instances, actions/mental content, environmental cues, severity/degree of belief ratings
Role-played/in session observation
- possible advantages:
- captures behavior client not aware of (nonverbal responses, verbal mannerisms)
- more efficient and practical than in situ observation
- Common variation: videotaping for feedback
- issues:
- similar to others: reliability, validity, stress for client
- “behavioral” role-plays tend to be brief with specific objectives (identification of next target to work on)
- identification of strengths as well as weaknesses essential
- assessment blends naturally into treatment
- Pragmatic/how-to considerations:
- stock scenes vs. actual reconstructions
- heuristic for selection of treatment targets:
- eye contact
- posture
- gestures
- voice loudness
- voice tone
- verbal content