Videotapes of preschoolers were used in a laboratory analogue of naturalistic observation to examine variables affecting observer reactivity. Sixteen undergraduates were randomly assigned to a monitored or unmonitored condition after training in an 11-category observational code. Results indicated a significant decrease in observer agreement scores coinciding with the shift from training to data collection. This drop in performance was noted for both groups, although the decrease was expected only for the unmonitored condition. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of training of observers for research and behavioral assessment.
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