Deck 9: Assessing Behavior Through Observation

Question 1

The prevalence of Johnny's inappropriate behavior time during the 30 minutes of math class was summarized as .20. The characteristic of behavior that was probably measured to arrive at this number is

A) duration.
B) latency.
C) frequency.
D) amplitude.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

If two students are told to play a table game while observers watch, but one of the students has been previously instructed to let the other student win, the observation is considered to be

A) contrived.
B) quantitative.
C) unobtrusive.
D) stereotypic.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When an observer begins a stopwatch at the time the bell rings and stops it when the target student arrives at the door of the next scheduled class, the characteristic of behavior that was probably being measured is

A) duration.
B) latency.
C) frequency.
D) amplitude.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

When a behavior is measured in terms of the number of times that it occurs within an identified time period, the characteristic being measured is its

A) duration.
B) latency.
C) frequency.
D) amplitude.

Question 5

The sampling procedure that provides an unbiased estimate of the proportion of times that is very accurate when small intervals are used is

A) whole-interval recording.
B) partial-interval recording.
C) momentary time sampling.
D) event recording.

Question 6

Observational error that biases data in a consistent direction is considered to be

A) random error.
B) unavoidable error.
C) systematic error.
D) mechanical error.

Question 7

When an observer sits behind a one-way mirror to observe what a child does in a typical preschool classroom, the observation is considered to be

A) contrived.
B) quantitative.
C) unobtrusive.
D) stereotypic.

Question 8

When a behavior is measured in terms of the length of time it lasts, the characteristic being measured is its

A) duration.
B) latency.
C) frequency.
D) amplitude.

Question 9

A sampling procedure in which a behavior is scored if it occurs one or more times within an interval is called

A) whole-interval recording.
B) partial-interval recording.
C) momentary time sampling.
D) event recording.

Question 10

A common way to measure the intensity of behaviors observed in the classroom is to

A) put a hidden tape recorder in the room.
B) count the behaviors, and then multiply them by a transformation scale.
C) use a rating scale that calibrates amplitude in some manner.
D) use a speech analyzer.

Question 11

In behavioral observations, the sampling procedures do not usually impact

A) contexts.
B) definitions.
C) times.
D) behaviors.

Question 12

Desensitizing students to the presence of observers or observational equipment and minimizing observer expectancies are two ways to reduce __________error.

A) random
B) unavoidable
C) systematic
D) mechanical

Question 13

Behaviors that call attention to a student because of their repetitive nonfunctional nature, and that result in the student being considered "weird" by fellow students, are

A) harmful to self-behaviors.
B) stereotypic behaviors.
C) desirable behaviors that don't occur very often.
D) normal behaviors that occur in the wrong places.

Question 14

Qualitative observation involves ​

A) describing important behavior without preconceived notions.
B) analyzing the recall of untrained observers.
C) identifying specific behaviors to be counted.
D) rating the extent to which an event is good for a subject.

Question 15

When a behavior is measured in terms of its intensity, the characteristic being measured is its

A) duration.
B) latency.
C) frequency.
D) amplitude.

Question 16

A discontinuous observation schedule requires

A) something to signal observation periods.
B) the presence of more than one observer.
C) observation of more than one target student.
D) a prolonged observation period, usually exceeding a school day.

Question 17

When selecting contexts in which to observe behavior, a good rule of thumb is to observe in __________ context(s).

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 18

Measuring the frequency of a behavior is not appropriate when ​

A) a target student exhibits it the same number of times as peers do.
B) it is a stereotypic behavior occurring at a high rate.
C) it doesn't occur very often in a relatively short time period.
D) a target student exhibits it twice as often as peers do.

Question 19

When a behavior is measured in terms of the length of time between a signal to perform and the beginning of the behavior, the characteristic being measured is its

A) duration.
B) latency.
C) frequency.
D) amplitude.

Question 20

Whole-interval recording is an example of a

A) time sampling.
B) context sampling.
C) definition sampling.
D) behavior sampling.

Question 21

When duration or frequency is the characteristic of interest, observations are usually summarized as __________.

Question 22

Behavior is typically defined by its __________, __________, and __________.

Question 23

The length of time between a signal to perform and the beginning of the behavior is called __________.

Question 24

________ is the most efficient sampling procedure.

Question 25

The ________ of a behavior is the purpose the behavior serves.

Question 26

_________ observations usually occur without predetermining the behaviors to be observed or the times and contexts in which to observe.

Question 27

Behaviors that have discrete beginnings and endings may be assessed in terms of the length of time the behavior lasts-their __________.

Question 28

__________ refers to the intensity of the behavior.

Question 29

The accuracy of observational data should be checked periodically because changes in __________ can signal that something is wrong. ​

Question 30

For behaviors with discrete beginnings and endings, we often count _______ which is the number of times the behaviors occur.

Question 31

A behavior is scored as occurring only when it occurs throughout the entire interval in __________ recording.

Question 32

Target behaviors should be defined precisely in __________. ​

Question 33

_________ behavior is outside the realm of culturally normative behavior. ​

Question 34

Observations when the people being observed do not realize they are being watched are considered to be __________ observations.

Question 35

One way to evaluate behavioral observations is to make _________ with a peer whose behavior is considered appropriate.

Question 36

When specific behaviors become the targets of intervention, it is useful to measure the behavior in a variety of __________.

Question 37

There is a tendency for complex observational systems to be __________.

Question 38

The easiest way to avoid expectations during observations is for the observer to be __________ to the purpose of the assessment. ​

Question 39

Situations that have been set up prior to a student being introduced into the situation are used in __________ observations.

Question 40

Behavioral _________ refers to the way a behavior is performed.

Question 41

Describe the major differences between quantitative and qualitative observation approaches.

Question 42

_________ is a nonsystematic observation that might be used to develop some initial hypotheses about the function of a student's behavior.

Question 43

Bobby was observed to be at the pencil sharpener 14 times during a 30-minute seatwork period. What type of observational data was collected in this observation?

Question 44

Jerry is a third-grader who is receiving services for a learning disability in math. He spends most of his day in the regular classroom, leaving it only to go to the resource room for math instruction. Jerry's teacher has complained that Jerry should be receiving resource-room services for reading, also. You have been asked to observe Jerry in the classroom to determine whether it would be wise to proceed with a more in-depth assessment. It is agreed that you should observe the extent to which Jerry is engaged in instruction during a typical reading period. Describe how you would plan the observation, gather data, and summarize the data.

Question 45

A(n) ________ is nonsystematic, simple, malleable, and often used for assessment and intervention in the area of problem behavior.

Question 46

Ruthie spent a total of 13 seconds actually writing on a piece of paper during the 15 minutes provided for writing an essay. What type of observational data was collected in this observation?

Question 47

How can technology be used to assist with systematic observations? What should be considered before technology is used for observations?