Chapter Seventeen

Using Measures of Social and Emotional Behavior

Introduction

• Externalizing problems– Easily detected– Examples: shouting, hitting or pushing classmates,

and talking back to the teacher

• Internalizing problems– Harder to identify– Examples: anxiety and depression

Introduction, con’t

• Acquisition deficit– Children fail to behave in expected ways because

they do not have the requisite coping or social skills

• Performance deficit– Children fail to behave in expected ways because

they actually have the necessary skills but fail to demonstrate them under certain conditions

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior

• Observational Procedures– Direct observation of behaviors

• Interview Techniques– Gain information about the perspectives of various

knowledgeable individuals, as well as insight into a student’s overall patterns of thinking and behaving

– Variations• structured or unstructured• formal or informal

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior, con’t

• Situational Measures– Peer-acceptance nomination scales• Students identify other students whom they prefer on

some set of criteria

– Sociometric ranking techniques• Point of reference for comparisons of a student’s status

among members of a specified group

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior, con’t

• Rating Scales– Parent, teacher, peer, or “significant other” in a

student’s environment rates the extent to which that student demonstrates certain desirable or undesirable behaviors

– Multiple gating• Incorporate multiple methods in the assessment• Example: Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders

Why Do We Assess Problem Behavior?

• Identification and classification• Intervention

Direct Behavior Ratings (DBR)

• Simple and malleable• How they work:– Identify target behavior to decrease or increase– Determine who will be rated– Determine when to rate– Determine how ratings will be communicated to

the student and/or parents– Identify possible rewards for good ratings

Functional Behavioral Assessment

• Define the Behavior• Identify the Conditions under which the

Behavior is Manifested– Antecedents– Setting Events– Consequences

Functional Behavioral Assessment, con’t

• Develop a Hypothesis about the Function of the Behavior

• Test the Hypothesized Function of Behavior• Develop a Behavioral Intervention Plan– Identify, Teach, and Reinforce a Replacement

Behavior– Appropriately Address Setting Events,

Antecedents, and Consequences

Specific Ratings of Social-Emotional Behavior

Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition (BASC-2)

• Tools– Teacher Rating Scale (TRS)– Parent Rating Scale (PRS)– Self-Report of Personality (SRP)– Structured Developmental History (SDH)– Student Observation System (SOS)• Behavior Key and Checklist• Time Sampling of Behavior• Teacher’s Interaction

BASC-2, con’t

• Scores• Norms• Reliability– Internal Consistency– Test-Retest Reliability– Interrater Reliability

• Validity– Criterion-Related Validity

• Summary