hospital observationObservationthatiscarried
out in psychiatric hospitals or institutions using an
observational device designed for that purpose.
observationA primary technique of behavioral
assessment. Observation is often used to gain a
better understanding of the frequency, strength,
and pervasiveness of the problem behavior as well
as the factors that are maintaining it.
observer driftA phenomenon in which observers
who work closely together subtly, and without
awareness, begin to drift away in their ratings from
those of other observers.
organismic variablesPhysical, physiological, or
cognitive characteristics of the client that are impor-
tant for both the conceptualization of the client’s
problem and the formulation of effective treatments.
psychophysiological measuresUsed to assess
central nervous system, autonomic nervous system,
or skeletomotor activity. The advantage of psy-
chophysiological measures is that they may assess
processes (e.g., emotional responsivity) that are not
directly assessed by self-report or behavioral
measures, and they tend to be more sensitive
measures of these processes than alternative
measures. Examples include event-related poten-
tials (ERPs), electromyographic (EMG) activity,
electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, and elec-
trodermal activity (EDA).
reactivityIn the context of observation, the
phenomenon in which individuals respond to the
fact that they are being observed by changing their
behavior.
role-playingA technique in which patients are
directed to respond the way they would typically
respond if they were in a given situation. The
situation may be described to them, or an assistant
may actually act the part of another person.
sampleBehavioral assessment uses a“sample”
orientation to testing—that is, the goal is to gather
examples that are representative of the situations
and behaviors of interest.
school observationBehavioral observation that
is conducted in the school setting. As with home
observation, trained observers rate the patient
using an appropriate observational system.
self-monitoringAn observational technique in
which individuals observe and record their own
behaviors, thoughts, or emotions (including informa-
tion on timing, frequency, intensity, and duration).
signTraditional assessment uses a“sign”approach
to testing—that is, the goal is to identify marks of
underlying characteristics.
situational testA controlled observation tech-
nique in which the clinician places individuals in
situations more or less similar to those of real life
and then observes their reactions directly.
SORC modelA model for conceptualizing
clinical problems from a behavioral perspective. In
this model,S the stimulus or antecedent
conditions that bring on the problematic behavior,
O the organismic variables related to the
behavior,R the response or the behavior itself,
andC the consequences of the behavior.
unit of analysisIn the context of observation,
the length of time observations will be made
and the type and number of responses that will
be rated.WEB SITES OF INTEREST
To visit any of the following Web sites, go to
http://www.wadsworth.com and click Links.
9-1Association for Behavioral and Cognitive
Therapies (ABCT)
http://www.abct.org/Home/
9-2Association for Behavior Analysis International
(ABAI)
http://www.abainternational.orgBEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 281