1.
Behavioral
Assessment

2.
Rida Mariam 103

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

12.
Iqra Shahzad 72

13.
Behavioral Assessment
Methods
Behavioral Interviews
Observational methods
 Naturalistic Observation
 Controlled Observation
Controlled Performance Techniques
Self-Monitoring
Role-playing
Inventories, Checklists
Cognitive-Behavioral Assessments

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