Behavioral Assessment: Definition, History, and References
Behavioral assessment is an essential tool used by mental health professionals to understand the behavior of a person or group of people. It is the systematic observation, measurement, and analysis of behavior in an effort to understand, predict, and modify behavior. The goal of behavioral assessment is to identify and target behaviors that are not conducive to an individual’s or group’s goals and objectives.
Definition
Behavioral assessment is defined as the systematic observation, measurement, and analysis of behavior in order to understand, predict, and modify behavior. It involves gaining information about a person’s behavior and environment in order to develop an understanding of the individual or group’s functioning. Behavioral assessment is used to identify problem behaviors, understand the causes of those behaviors, and develop a plan to intervene and modify the behavior.
History
Behavioral assessment has ancient roots, with the study of behavior being a focus of philosophical and psychological inquiry since the time of the Ancient Greeks. The first formal assessment of behavior was developed in the early 1900s by John B. Watson, who is credited with the development of the field of behaviorism. He proposed that behavior was a result of environmental and stimulus-response influences. Behavioral assessment was further advanced in the 1950s and 1960s by Burrhus Frederic Skinner, who developed the field of operant conditioning. Skinner’s work focused on the concept of reinforcement, which he argued was the key to understanding and changing behavior.
In the 1970s, behaviorism began to be incorporated into psychological theory, and behavioral assessment began to be used more broadly in clinical settings. It was during this time that the field of behavior analysis was developed. Behavior analysis is the use of the scientific methods of behaviorism to identify, measure, and modify behavior. In the 1980s, behavior analysis began to be used more extensively in clinical settings, and in the 1990s, it began to be used in educational settings.
References
Baer, D. M. (1970). A historical review of applied behavior analysis. Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 1-20.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Macmillan.
Watson, J. B. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological Review, 20(2), 158-177.
Watson, J. B. (1924). Behaviorism. London: Routledge.