Although behavioral assessment has become a widely employed and accepted technology in the field of school psychology, relatively little attention has been given to the issue of validity. This article examines validity issues and concerns as they relate to a specific aspect of behavioral assessment, direct behavioral observation. Specific emphasis is placed on the valid use of this technology in classroom situations with children.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alberto, P.A., & Troutman, A.C. (1982). Applied behavior analysis for teachers: Influencing student performance. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.
2.
Alessi, G.J., & Kaye, J.H. (1983) Behavior assessment for school psychologists. Kent, OH: National Association of School Psychologists .
3.
Anastasi, A. (1968). Psychological testing (3rd ed.). New York: MacMillan.
4.
Baer, D.M., Wolf, M.M., & Risley, T.R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.
5.
Barton, E.J., & Ascione, F.R. (1984). Direct observation. In T.O. Ollendick & M. Herson (Eds.), Child behavioral assessment: Principles and procedures (pp. 166-194). New York: Pergamon.
6.
Cone, J.D. (1978). The behavioral assessment grid (BAG): A conceptual framework and taxonomy. Behavior Therapy, 9, 882-888.
7.
Cone, J.D. (1981). Psychometric considerations. In M. Herson & A.S. Bellack (Eds.), Behavioral assessment: A practical handbook (2nd. ed., pp. 36-68). New York: Pergamon.
8.
Epps, S. (1985). Best practices in behavioral observation. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (pp. 95-111). Kent, OH: National Association of School Psychologists .
9.
Jones, R.R., Reid, J.B., & Patterson, G.R. (1974). Naturalistic observation in clinical assessment. In P. McReynolds (Ed.), Advances in psychological assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
10.
Kazdin, A.E. (1979). Situational specificity: The two-edged sword of behavioral assessment. Behavioral Assessment, 1, 57-75.
11.
Kazdin, A.E. (1981). Behavioral observation. In M. Herson & A.S. Bellack (Eds.), Behavioral assessment: A practical handbook (pp. 101-124). New York: Pergamon.
12.
Kent, R.N., & Foster, L.F. (1977). Direct observational procedures: Methodological issues in naturalistic settings. In A.R. Ciminero , K.S. Calhoun, & H.E. Adams (Eds.), Handbook of behavioral assessment (pp. 279-328). New York: John Wiley.
13.
Kent, R.N., O'Leary, K.D., Diament, C., & Deitz, A. (1974). Expectation biases in observational utility of therapeutic change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 42, 774-780.
14.
Kratochwill, T.R. (1982). Advances in behavioral assessment. In C.R. Reynolds & T.B. Gutkin (Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (pp. 314-350). New York: John Wiley.
15.
Nelson, R.O., & Hayes, S.C. (1979). Some current dimensions of behavioral assessment . Behavioral Assessment, 1, 1-16.
16.
Reid, J.B. (1982). Observer training in naturalistic research. In D.P. Hartmann (Ed.), Using observers to study behavior (pp. 37-50). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
17.
Stokes, T.F., Baer, D.M., & Jackson, R.L. (1974). Programming among the generalization of a greeting response in four retarded children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 7, 599-610.
18.
Wahler, R.G. (1975). Some structural aspects of deviant child behavior . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 8, 27-42.
19.
Walker, H. (1983). Assessment of behavior disorders in the school setting: Issues, problems, and strategies. In M. Noel & N. Haring (Eds.), Progress or change? Issues in educating the mildly emotionally disturbed . PDAS and USOSE Monograph Series.
