3. Behavioral Assessment
An assessment approach that focuses
on the interactions between situations
and behaviors for the purpose of
effecting behavioral change.
4. History
Behaviorism beginning in 1930’s
Pavlov: Pavlovian or classical
conditioning
B.F. Skinner (most noteworthy work
1953)
Skinner box for rat learning research
Operant or response-stimulus (RS)
conditioning
5. Behavioral Assessment
Context in Clinical Psych
Grows from Behavior Theory / Learning
Theory
Aspects of it can be easily combined with
other forms of assessment – very common
to do so
Differs from traditional assessment (clinical
interview and testing) in 3 ways
6. 1. Sample vs. Sign
In behavioral assessment, test /
interview responses are interpreted as
“samples” of behavior that are
thought to generalize to other
situations
In traditional assessment (even
psychodynamic), we interpret test
data as “signs” of internal processes
7. 2. Functional Behavioral Analysis (also called
Functional Analysis)
Derived from Skinner’s work with SR (stimulus-response)
learning
SORC model
ABC model (very similar)
Isolates a target behavior for analysis and
understanding in a very concrete, prescripted
manor
8. SORC model for
conceptualizing a behavior
S = stimulus or “antecedent” factors which
occur before target behavior
O = organismic variables relevant to target
behavior
R = the response = the target behavior
C = consequences of target behavior
9. Elaboration of “O”
Organismic
Physical / medical / physiological,
cognitive / psychological aspects
of the client
…that are relevant to treating the
target behavior
10. Example of SORC model
S – Stimulus: a child is ignored by her peers
in class
(O – Organismic: the child has previously
been diagnosed with ADHD)
R – Response: She increases the volume of
her voice (i.e., yells)
C – Consequences: her peers pay
attention to her, some role their eyes
11. Similar to SORC: ABC
A = Antecedent – similar to
“situation”
B = Behavior – similar to
“response”
C = Consequence – outcome
14. Behavioral Interviews
Interviews conducted for the
purpose of identifying a
problem behavior , the
situational factors that maintain
the behavior, and the
consequences that result from
that behavior.
15. Goal: help clinician gain general
perspective of problem and
Understand antecedent factors
Behavioral Interviews are used to
obtain a general picture of the
presenting problem and of the
variables that seem to be
maintaining the problematic
behavior.
16. Observation: a primary
technique
A primary technique of behavioral
assessment. It 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.
17. Naturalistic Conditions:
Behavior typically and spontaneously
occurs.
Home observation
School observation
Hospital observation
Controlled Conditions:
Simulated or contrived conditions. The
environment is designed to such that it is
likely that the assessor will observe the
targeted behavior or interactions.
18. Controlled Performance
Techniques
An assessment procedure in which
the clinician places individuals in
carefully controlled performance
situations and collects data on their
performance/behaviors, their
emotional reactions, and/or various
psycho physiological indices.
19. Self-monitoring techniques
An observational technique in which
individuals observe and record their own
behaviors, thoughts, or emotions (including
information on timing, frequency, intensity
and duration)
Clients are asked to maintain behavioral
logs or diaries over some predetermined
time period.
Dysfunctional Thought Record DTR is most
common of self-monitoring in clinical setting
20. Role Playing
A technique in which patients are directed
to respond the way they would typically
respond if they were in a given situation.
Provide a scenario for client to act out,
possibly with a clinical assistant or the
therapist
Benefit: therapeutic since it’s practice in a
safe setting plus provides ongoing
assessment
21. Inventories, checklists
E.g., child behavior checklist CBCL
Parent, peer, self, teacher rate on a list of
behaviors
Usually multiple raters
Questionnaire format
Often have multiple “factors” in checklist
E.g., aggressive, depressed, anxious
behaviors
Benefit: they offer a quantitative measure!
22. Cognitive-Behavioral
Assessments
An assessment approach recognizing
that the person’s thought or cognitions
play an important role in behavior.
Example: Beck Depression Inventory
Asks questions about behaviors such as
sleep, appetite, decision making
related to decision
But also thoughts: negative thoughts
about self, thoughts about death, etc.
23. Challenges to validity and
reliability
Reliability & validity influenced by
complexity of behavior observed
level of training, experience of observer(s)
Observer error
influence of observation on target
(problematic) behavior
generalizability of observations to other
settings/situations