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Behavioral Psychology Behavior definition Behavior can be regarded as how one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others. It can also be described as any habit that the person says or does that entails movement and impacts on the environment. Dynamics influence behavior in the environment. A person can demonstrate either good or bad behavior based on the set standards in their work setting. According to Cooper, Heron, and Heward (2007), various characteristics should be included in describing behaviors.
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An ideal definition of a target behavior is that it offers an accurate, complete, and concise description of the behavior to be measured (Cummings & Carr, 2009). As asserted by Cooper et al. (2007), the definition of a target behavior is focused on counting the number of times the behavior occurs or the number of minutes it takes to perform it, whether a stranger will know what to look when you notify them about the target behavior you are seeking to modify and breaking the target behavior into smaller behavioral components. In this case, the behavior being observed include nail-biting and fidgeting for a young man and lady, respectively, in an office setting. Observation method and schedule The observation method adopted here is naturalistic observation. The researcher records all relevant behavior without the system. In this case, the observer can observe the behavior and the flow of behavior in its setting. The setting is the workplace to which the participants are acclimatized to. The two subjects were observed at different times; one was observed in the morning while another was observed in the afternoon. In both cases, the subjects were not aware that they were being observed in order to elicit a very valid uncontrolled response from them. The first subject was observed from 9 to 11 am, at different time intervals. The second participant was observed from 2 to 5pm, at different time intervals as well. Data recording procedure There are several techniques adopted in establishing a person’s behavior. These techniques include recording of the event, timing, and sampling. Timing entails utilizing a wide range of timing gadgets or other models to determine the duration of behaviors, the latency of response, and the variation in reaction time (Jorgensen, 2015). Time sampling and frequency recording entail comparisons to record behavior amid time duration that occurs through three
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structures: whole interval recording, partial interval recording, and momentary time sampling. On the other hand, the whole interval recording entails the quantification of consistent behavior. Partial recording checks whether the behavior occurs whenever the interval passed, whereas momentary time sampling is aimed at checking whether the behavior is taking place as the interval is completed (Cooper et al., 2007). The data collection methodologies were focused on timing behavior and establishing the occurrence of the behavior at an interval. Therefore, continuous estimation was aimed at creating superior behavioral examples. The two behaviors' duration cannot be perceived as critical based on the frequency and its attributes. Therefore, both subjects were observed on three consecutive days at three different times of the day, with each lasting for fifteen minutes. A tally mark was used to record the frequency of the behavior (Jorgensen, 2015). The female subject was observed fidgeting and picking their arm 5 times a day over the three days of observation. The second subject was recorded biting their nails 5 times on the first and second day. The average number of times is noted. As such, time sampling and frequency recording were ideal in this case. Here, a simple counting of the number of times a behavior occurs during a specific period was considered. The designated periods ranged between 15 to 30 minutes. The method is appropriate because the behaviors being considered are discrete and short in duration, e.g., fidgeting. The process may also be referred to as permanent product recording. The technique that provides you with a precise picture of its regularity or severity is "behavioral recording." This technique will be used for the two participants (Jorgensen, 2015). Data table and graph for this behavior
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The tables capture the data for the two participants, with their corresponding graphs. The table gives details of the setting, the type of behavior under scrutiny, the time and intervals of observations, and the frequency or the number of times the specific behavior was exhibited. The middle-aged lady in the office (Fidgeting and arm fidgeting) Date
setting
Time of
Behavior
Observation
Total number of times
1/28/21
Office
9.00 - 9:15
Fidgeting
am
&Arm
5
fidgeting 1/28/21
Office
10:15 -1
Fidgeting
0:30 am
& Arm
3
fidgeting 1/28/21
Office
11:30 -
Fidgeting
11:00 am
&Arm
5
fidgeting
The graph of the number of fidgeting (y-axis) at specific time intervals (x-axis)
5 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Time of observation
9-9.15am Series1
10.15-10.30am Series2
11.30-11am
Series3
The young man in the office (Nail biting) Date
setting
Time of
Behavior
Observation
Total number of times
1/28/21
Office
2:15-
Nail-biting
5
Nail-biting
5
Nail-biting
7
2:30pm 1/28/21
Office
3.003:15pm
1/28/21
Office
4:305:00pm
The graph of the number of nail-biting (y-axis) at specific time intervals (x-axis)
6 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Time of observation
2.15-2.30pm Series1
3-3.15pm Series2
Series3
4.30-5pm
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References Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.). Merrill Prentice Hall. Cummings, A. R., & Carr, J. E. (2009). Evaluating progress in behavioral programs for children with autism spectrum disorders via continuous and discontinuous measurement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(1), 57-71 Jorgensen, D. L. (2015). Participant observation. Emerging Trends in the social and behavioral sciences: An interdisciplinary, searchable, and linkable resource, 1-15.