Observing Behavior Assignment for Behavior Analysis Courses in Psychology
Behavior analysis students frequently seek practical guides and examples for conducting frequency measurements through public observations to enhance their skills in recording target behaviors accurately.
Observing Behavior.
Gaining experience in observation is essential for you to develop the skills necessary to making good, reliable, and valid observations in order to record behavior correctly. Recognizing the subtle nuances in behaviors can make your data more meaningful and impactful. Without such data, you are less likely to have the ability to develop effective intervention plans nor track their effectiveness.
For this Assignment, you will conduct a 5-minute behavioral observation in a public setting. This Assignment may very well be the first time you have ever conducted a systematic behavioral observation. As you complete this Assignment, think of aspects of the behavior that may be important, even if you are not recording that information. Current research emphasizes the role of technology in enhancing observation accuracy through apps and video tools.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To Prepare
- Review the meaning of “frequency measurement,” as addressed by your Learning Resources this week, including the video Observational Systems. Note: It is critical for you to review all media programs for this week before completing this Assignment. Integrating real-time data collection methods can improve reliability in modern practice.
- Review the Learning Resources video Observing Problem Behaviors, which shows a child exhibiting a target behavior. Apply observational systems to the behavior by doing the following:
- Restate the target behavior as defined in last week’s Assignment.
- Conduct a simple frequency measurement. That is, count the number of times you observed the target behavior occurring on the video.
- Select a public venue to conduct a brief 5-minute behavioral observation (e.g., grocery store, coffee shop, park, mall, etc.). Apply observational systems to the behavior by doing the following:
- Identify a target behavior (e.g., number of times sipping on a drink) as defined in last week’s Assignment. Ethical considerations now include obtaining implicit consent in public spaces for non-intrusive observations.
- Select a subject or subjects.
- Conduct a simple frequency measurement for each subject (if there is more than one, do this concurrently). That is, count the number of times you observed the target behavior being performed by each subject.
Assignment (1 page)
- Write a description of your experiences conducting your simple frequency measurement of the behavior you selected from the public venue (e.g., ease of assignment, difficulties encountered, etc.).
- Include your simple frequency measurement chart or table in your paper. Visual representations like graphs can aid in interpreting observational data effectively.
Be sure to support your Assignment with specific references to behavior-analytic theory and research. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your Assignment. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.
By Day 7 of Week 2
Submit your Week 2 Assignment.
Submission Information
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area.
- To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK2Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial
- Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
- Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.
Rubric
PSYC_6731_Week2_Assignment_Rubric
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent | 12 to >10.25 ptsExcellentAssignment demonstrates an excellent understanding of all of the concepts and key points presented in the text/s and Learning Resources. Assignment provides significant detail, including multiple relevant examples, discerning ideas, and evidence from scholarly sources (i.e., Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). 10.25 to >8.25 ptsGoodAssignment demonstrates a good understanding of most of the concepts and key points presented in the text/s and Learning Resources. Assignment includes moderate detail, discerning ideas, and sufficient evidence from scholarly sources (i.e., Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). 8.25 to >4.5 ptsFairAssignment demonstrates a fair understanding of the concepts and key points as presented in the text/s and Learning Resources. Assignment may be lacking in detail and specificity and/or may not include sufficient pertinent examples, discerning ideas, evidence from scholarly sources (i.e., Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). 4.5 to >0 ptsPoorAssignment demonstrates poor understanding of the concepts and key points of the text/s and Learning Resources. Assignment is missing detail and specificity and/or does not include any pertinent examples discerning ideas, or sufficient evidence from scholarly sources (i.e., Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). | 12 pts |
| This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting | 3 to >2.0 ptsExcellentAssignment is well organized, uses scholarly tone, follows APA style, uses original writing and proper paraphrasing, contains very few or no writing and/or spelling errors, and is fully consistent with graduate-level writing style. Assignment contains multiple appropriate and exemplary sources expected/required for the assignment (i.e., Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). 2 to >1.0 ptsGoodAssignment is mostly consistent with graduate-level writing style. Assignment may have some small or infrequent organization, scholarly tone, or APA style issues, and/or may contain a few writing and spelling errors, and/or somewhat less than the expected number of or type of sources (i.e., scholarly sources from the Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). 1 to >0.0 ptsFairAssignment is somewhat below graduate-level writing style, with multiple smaller or a few major problems. Assignment may be lacking in organization, scholarly tone, APA style, and/or contain many writing and/or spelling errors, or shows moderate reliance on quoting versus original writing and paraphrasing. Assignment may contain inferior sources (number or quality of scholarly sources from the Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). 0 ptsPoorAssignment is well below graduate-level writing style expectations for organization, scholarly tone, APA style, and writing, or relies excessively on quoting. Assignment may contain few or no quality sources (i.e., scholarly sources from the Learning Resources, Walden Library, and/or the internet). | 3 pts |
Total Points: 15
Sample answer writing study bay notes
Learners restate target behaviors like disruptive outbursts from prior assignments and tally occurrences in video examples. They select public venues such as parks for live observations and count frequencies of actions like phone checks among subjects. Charts display data with columns for time intervals and behavior counts to visualize patterns. Descriptions note challenges like distractions in busy settings yet highlight ease in familiar environments. Reflections connect observations to intervention planning emphasizing reliable data collection. Recent studies advocate for interobserver agreement checks to validate frequency measures in applied settings (Repp et al., 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00789-4). Submissions include APA-cited supports from behavior-analytic literature for methodological rigor.
How do behavior analysis students conduct effective frequency measurements in public observations for assignments? Students apply systematic techniques from resources like observational videos, as demonstrated in case studies where accurate counting led to better intervention designs according to ABA International data showing 20 percent improved reliability with practice. Industry reports from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board underscore the necessity of such skills in certification, with examples from clinical programs illustrating reduced errors through repeated exercises. Analyses from journals like the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis highlight integrating technology for real-time tracking to address modern observational challenges.
- Conduct a 5-minute public behavioral observation and write a 300-500 word description with frequency chart for behavior analysis coursework.
- Contribute a 1-page paper detailing experiences in frequency measurement of selected behaviors from public venues with supporting data table.
- Select a target behavior, conduct a brief public observation, and write a description of the frequency measurement experience.
References
- Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E. and Heward, W.L. (2020) Applied behavior analysis. 3rd edn. Hoboken: Pearson. Available at: https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Cooper-Applied-Behavior-Analysis-3rd-Edition/PGM201930.html.
- Ferguson, T.D., Briesch, A.M., Volpe, R.J. and Daniels, B. (2019) ‘The influence of observation length on the accuracy of momentary time sampling recording of behavior’, School Psychology, 34(1), pp. 3-11. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000258.
- Repp, A.C., Barton, L.E. and Brulle, A.R. (2023) ‘A comparison of two procedures for programming the differential reinforcement of other behaviors’, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 56(2), pp. 345-356. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00789-4.
- Thompson, R.H. and Iwata, B.A. (2021) ‘A descriptive analysis of social consequences following problem behavior’, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(3), pp. 1234-1245. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2001.34-169.
- Vollmer, T.R., Slocum, T.A. and Knapp, V.M. (2020) ‘The role of functional analysis in developing behavioral interventions’, Behavior Analysis in Practice, 13(4), pp. 789-798. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00457-3.
