lab 9
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Rutgers University *
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MISC
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Communications
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Apr 3, 2024
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Uploaded by haileebissell
Lab 9: Assessment of Behavior and Social Skills (5 points)
Name: Hailee Bissell; worked with Catherine Sigler and Allie Sluzis [please remember to note who you worked with in class]
Objective:
At the end of this class, you should be able to operationally define target behaviors and determine when and why to use event, interval, duration, and latency recording to measure student behavior. Part A: Operationally Defining Behaviors
Raúl (8
th
Grade)
“I ain’t doin’ that!” Raúl yells before he walks out of the classroom. Mrs. Banks, his teacher, steps into the hallway and says, “Raúl, you need to cool off then come back inside.” Raúl shrugs and replies, “Aw, man.” He looks around and begrudgingly walks back into the classroom. Raúl has received ten office discipline referrals (ODR) in the past three weeks. Mrs. Banks stated on the ODRs that Raúl is disrespectful. The Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Team has looked at Raúl’s ODRs to determine what the issue is and which intervention might prove beneficial.
1.
Identify Mrs. Banks’ definition of Raúl’s target behavior. Is the definition stated in positive terms? Is it measurable, observable, and clear, concise, and complete? Mrs. Banks definition of Raul’s target behavior is that he is disrespectful. The definition is not explicitly stated in positive terms; instead, it is is framed in negative language, describing what Raul is not doing (being respectful). Her definition is not measurable, observable, clear, concise, or complete. This is because he does not show when he shows this type of behavior. In other words, “disrespectful” is a broad and subjective term that can be interpreted differently by individuals. It lacks details about the specific disrespectful actions or behaviors that Mrs. Banks finds problematic. To make the definition more measurable, Mrs, Banks could
provide specific examples of behaviors that she considers disrespectful as it would enhnce the clarity and completeness of the definition. Tiffany (PreK)
A preschool teacher consults with the school director about a new student, Tiffany. Mr. Leigh tells the director that Tiffany has temper tantrums and gets out of control in the classroom. The
director states that she will convene a team consisting of herself, Mr. Leigh, the behavior specialist, and the school counselor. Mr. Leigh agrees to write a definition of the target behavior for the team to review. He gets back to his classroom and finds it much more difficult to specifically say what Tiffany does. He is puzzled about how difficult it is. He has seen these temper tantrums every day twice a day for the past two weeks! Why can’t he write about it? He
provides the following definition to the team the next day: Tiffany engages in temper tantrums during transition time prior to large group activities. She is not aggressive toward other children, only adults in the classroom.
2.
What elements of an operational definition are not included in Mr. Leigh’s definition?
The elements that are not included in Mr. Leigh’s definition is that It is not measurable, observable, not stated in positive terms, and not clear and concise. It is not stated in positive terms because Mr. Leigh’s definition describes what she does not do , instead of what she does do. It it not measurable because the definition lacks specific criteria or observable behaviors that can be measured. What constitutes a temper tantrum needs to be more clearly defined. You can’t count how many times this person has a temper tantrum because the temper tantrum is not specific enough. It is also not observable because the definition does not describe behaviors that can be observed. Phases such as “get out of control” and “engages In temper tantrums” are subjective and the meanings can vary from person to person. It is not clear and concise because rom the definition, it is not clear what the behavior looks like . The definition is vague and the lack of specific behaviors make it less clear.
3.
Is it possible to write an operational definition? Explain why or why not.
It is not possible to write an operation definition because from the context given, we do not know what Tiffany does during her temper tantrums to disrupt others in the class. We also do not know the actions of “getting out of control” to correctly form an operational definition that has all four components needed. Part B. Determining When and Why to Use Different Types of Behavioral Data Collection
Mark (6
th
Grade)
Mark has been diagnosed with a learning disability. He reads at a second-grade level and his math performance is deficient. He is outgoing and is often described as the class clown. Mark has many friends but often makes them the butt of his jokes. Recently, during reading class, Mark said to Felecia, “Do you think old man McGreevy changed his underwear today?” Two other friends of Mark heard him and started laughing. Felecia laughed, too, but felt kind of uncomfortable. Mr. McGreevy heard the laughter and asked the class to quiet down. A few minutes later when Mr. McGreevy was attending to other students, Mark made a loud noise simulating flatulence. The class burst out laughing. Mr. McGreevy looked at Mark, but Mark said, “I didn’t do anything.” Mr. McGreevy warned Mark that any further interruptions would lead to his being sent to in-school suspension for the rest of the class. Mark feigned indignation and got back to work, but failed to finish his assignment. The next day, when Mr. McGreevy stepped out of the classroom for a moment, Mark put on eyeglasses and imitated the teacher’s manner. Everyone began to laugh and talk very loudly. Encouraged, Mark continued to cause a commotion. By the time Mr. McGreevy returned, a full-
scale ruckus had broken out. Mr. McGreevy sent Mark to the office, the twelfth time he had done so in that school year, and it was only November.
Mr. McGreevy is worried that Mark’s inappropriate behavior will escalate as the winter holidays
draw closer. He needs to determine a method that will help him collect information on Mark’s disruptive comments.
4.
Consider the following two strategies. Define each strategy.
Definition
Event Recording
Event recording is a method where you record the frequency of a particular behavior within a set timeframe. Afterwards, you calculate the average occurrences of the behavior per minute.
Interval Recording
Interval recording means keeping track of how many times
a specific behavior happens during set time intervals. You then figure out the percentage of intervals where the behavior occurred to measure how much of the instructional time the behavior takes up.
5.
Describe why each strategy is appropriate to measure Mark’s disruptive comments. Why is this strategy an appropriate way to measure Mark’s
disruptive comments?
Event Recording
Even recording is an appropriate way to measure Mark’s disruptive comment because it helps count how often he engages in his behavior within a specific time frame. By using this method, Mr. McGreevy can determine the average number of times Mark makes disruptive comments per minute, providing a clear understanding of the behaviors frequency and aiding in addressing the issue. This strategy provides Mr. McGreevy with more concrete date which makes it easier to identify patterns, asses how severe his behavior is and implement targeted interventions to address Mark’s inappropriate actions more effectively. Interval Recording
Interval recording can be an appropriate way to measure Mark’s disruptive comments because it provides a structured way to observe and analyze his behavior over designated time intervals. This method allows for the teacher to capture the occurrence of disruptive comments
without having to document every single instance which makes it more feasible to do in a busy classroom setting with lots of students. By calculating the percentage of
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intervals in which disruptive comments happen, Mr. McGreevy can gain insight into the overall impact of the behavior on instructional time. Theresa (4
th
Grade)
Theresa rarely finishes her class work. How could she? She’s up, she’s down, she’s wandering all
around. Her teacher, Ms. Lowe, seems always to be asking her to return to her desk and begin working. Theresa almost never has her book or her pencil out, and during class transitions she is
the last to be ready. Ms. Lowe believes that Theresa’s out-of-seat behavior and procrastination are contributing to her poor grades. She needs to assess the situation and determine which of these behaviors is the most problematic.
6.
Consider the following strategies. Define each strategy.
Definition
Duration Recording
A way of keeping track the duration of time a student is involved in a particular behavior.
Interval Recording
A method for figuring out whether a behavior happened in
short time intervals.
Latency Recording
A way to record the time between giving a direction and the student following it.
7.
Describe why each strategy is/is not appropriate to measure Theresa’s out-of-seat behavior. Is this strategy appropriate to measure Theresa’s out-of-
seat behavior? Why or why not?
Duration Recording
Yes, appropriate to measure Theresa’s out of seat behavior because it allows for tracking the total time she spends out of her seat during a specified period. This method can provide insights into the extent of the behavior and help assess its impact on Theresa’s ability to finish her classwork.
Interval Recording
Yes, because it allows for observing and recording whether
the behavior occurs during specific time intervals. In this case, intervals could be set, and it can be noted whether Theresa is out at the end of each interval. This method provides a structured way to assess the frequency of the behavior within different points in time, offering valuable insights into the pattern of Theresa’s out of seat actions during class.
Latency Recording
This method can be appropriate to measure Theresa’s out of seat behavior as it focuses on the time it takes for her to
initiate the desired behavior which is sitting in her seat after a specific instruction from the teacher. This method can help assess Theresa’s responsiveness to instructions and identify any delays in compliance. 8.
Describe why each strategy is/is not appropriate to measure Theresa’s procrastinating behavior. The amount of time it takes for Theresa to begin working after her teacher gives a direction.
Is this strategy appropriate to measure Theresa’s procrastinating behavior? Why or why not?
Duration Recording
No- duration recording is not suitable for measuring Theresa’s procrastination. This is because it typically measures the entire duration of the behavior and in Theresa’s case, from the assignments start until her teacher intervenes. This approach will not effectively pinpoint procrastination as the main issue, as it encompasses the entire timeframe, including potential delays in taking out materials and teacher interventions.
Interval Recording
No- The interval recording strategy does not make sense for measuring Theresa; s procrastination because she is not engaging in a gradual process of taking materials out and then putting them away. The strategy is ineffective for
capturing the nuanced delays in her behavior which can potentially overlook important details about her procrastination pattern. This is because her preparedness status appears to change abruptly rather than gradually.
Latency Recording
Yes- This strategy is appropriate as it lets us see how long Theresa takes to start her work after her teacher gives her directions. It effectively captures the specific time gap between the teacher’s instruction and Theresa’s response.
It focuses on the delay between the instruction and her actual engagement, giving a clear picture of her procrastination behavior. This strategy helps identify patterns and trends related to Theresa’s readiness to start her work, providing valuable insights for intervention strategies.
Rubric
Advanced Proficient
Proficient
Below Proficient
A. Operationally Defining Behaviors
2 points
The candidate is able to critique two definitions of a target behavior in terms of whether they are measurable, observable, clear, and stated in positive terms. 1 points
The candidate is mostly able to critique two definitions of a target behavior in terms of whether they are measurable, observable, clear, and
stated in positive terms. More detail is needed or some aspects of responses are incorrect.
0 points
The candidate is unable to critique two definitions of a target behavior in terms of whether they are measurable, observable, clear, and stated in positive terms.
B. Defining Behavioral Data Collection Strategies
1 point
The candidate clearly and accurately describes the data collection strategy in all questions. .5 points
The candidate describes the data collection strategy; however, some are described erroneously.
0 points
The candidate incorrectly describes
most data collection strategies.
C. Determining Which Data Collection Strategy to Use
2 points
The candidate is able to determine which data collection strategy is appropriate
to use in all cases. The
candidate provides clear, thorough responses justifying each strategy.
1 point
The candidate is able to determine which data collection strategy is appropriate to use in most cases. The candidate provides responses justifying each strategy.
0 points
The candidate incorrectly determines which data collection strategy is appropriate to use in
most cases. Little to no justification is provided.
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