Behavioural assessment

Behavioral assessment is a psychological tool used to observe,

describe, explain, and predict behavior. This is done to measure
and calculate the various factors of behavioral changes: feelings,
overt behaviors, and controlling variables of individuals.
Behavioral assessment is done to portray the mindset of the
person under study, to depict what he does and why he does it.
Mainly, behavioral assessment is conducted through functional
analysis. Anomalies related to hyperactivity, aggression, low
attention span, peer relationship problems, etc., are all studied
through behavioral assessments. In behavioural assessment,
constituents of a behaviour are measured to understand why certain
behaviour happens and what caused that behaviour. The constituents include
feelings, cognition’s and overt behaviors and their controlling variables.
Behavioural assessment focuses on what an individual does and not what the
person has or is. Behavioural assessment is more an exploratory activity. It
tries to find out the range of procedures used to understand children, adults
and groups.

Behavioral assessments are conducted for various purposes.

Resolving the behavioral issue is the main agenda behind
behavioral assessment. Reaching the base of the behavior and
rectifying any anomaly that causes the behavior to change is the
basic purpose of such an assessment.
According to the behaviorists, personality is shaped out of the habits and
behaviour of a person, which he learns through life while giving responses to
the various stimuli, therefore the situations in which he finds himself in
according to them the study of the behaviour of the individual is a better
method to study personality. To study behaviour, the some behaviorists
advocate direct observation in which the psychologist observes the behaviour
of the individual in day-to-day living, their behaviour at their workplace, home,
school or any other place they are in.
Like most of the other research methods, the behavioural
assessment also faces some challenges like:
- The person observing the behaviour becomes biased and is
not able to judge behaviour correctly.
- Since, the examiner has no control over the situation or the
environment in which the behaviour of the examine is being
observed, it may be a pointless task unnecessary
directionless exercise.

Common Characteristics and Assumptions of Behavioural

Assessment Methods
1. They all focus on behaviour.
In behaviour assessment, behaviours are observed at specific
time, in specific situations, in a limited location. It measures and
evaluates both overt and covert behaviours. The behavioural
assessment requires objective information. So, assessment of
variables and concepts are taken up objectively.
2. All behavioural assessment methods believe in quantification.
Behavioural assessments include comparison of information
across time and persons. So for better and appropriate
comparison of the information, the observed behaviours are
quantified. This also helps in better communication between
persons.
3. All the behavioural assessment methods use trained, impartial
observers.
Objectivity is an important requirement in the behavioural
assessment. So, it is important to train the observers in to record
the behaviours and collect information in an objective manner.
4. All of them use empirically validated measures.
 Consistency is another requirement of in behavioural assessment.
In order to maintain consistency researchers use empirically
validated measures.
5. All of them recognize errors and try to counteract the errors or
minimize errors to the extent possible using statistical methods.
Errors are integral parts of almost all research methods. In order
to minimize the errors, the behavioural assessment uses statistical
techniques.
6. All of these believe that the behaviour concerned occurs due to
stimuli from the environment.
One of the main assumption of the behavioural assessment
techniques is that all the behaviour that is observed is caused by
the external factors and also the observation of behaviours are
also done in their natural environment. Behavioural assessment
techniques focus on discovering the situational influences in the
behavior.
7. All of these assessment techniques depend not on one but
multiple sources of information.
The collection of valid and reliable information is the main
purpose of behavioural assessment techniques. For this, these
techniques uses various assessment strategies like behavioural
interviews, self-reports, standardized instruments, rating scales,
etc. as adequate information cannot be gathered by an of these
individually.

8. All the behavioural assessment techniques ultimately place high

emphasis on intervention.
The behavioural assessment mainly focuses on obtaining or
collecting information rather than on labelling or categorizing an
 individual. This information collected is used to form strategies for
behavioural interventions.

9. All of the behavioural assessment techniques use continuous

assessment.

The behaviour assessment is a continuous process including the

following stages: baseline stage, intervention stage, and follow up
stage. The intervention strategies are also monitored and
evaluated continuously.
10. Each of these behavioural assessment techniques
emphasizes on empirically based decision making process.

In behavioural assessment, the empirical data is mainly used to

take decisions about strategies and interventions to further the
goal of objectivity.

11. Most of these behavioural assessment techniques focus on

individual person rather than groups.

Behavioural assessment is mainly concerned with individual

differences. Hence, the techniques used in the assessment neglect
the group norms.

12. High emphasis is placed on individual differences.

Individual differences are relative in nature, with respect to a

situational or cultural differences. While assessing behaviours, it
has to be considered that behaviours vary with situations and
behavioural expectations also change.
13. All behavioural assessment techniques not only look for
causes contributing to the problem but also try to solve the
problem concerned, once the cause is known.

Problem solving is an important part of behavioural assessment.

Hence it is important to identify the cause for a particular
problem in behavioural assessment to overcome such problems.

14. All the behavioural assessment techniques focus on

developing adaptive behaviour in the individual.

The behavioural assessment mainly focuses on developing

desirable behaviour. It does not consider controlling and reducing
the undesirable behaviour. The behavioural interventions that are
designed in an assessment are done to suit for a particular person
concerned.