An attempt at defining and describing those factors which most often jeopardize the validity of naturalistic behavioral data is presented. A number of investigations from many laboratories which demonstrate these methodological problems are reviewed. Next, suggestions, implementations, and testing of effectiveness of various solutions to these…

Naturalistic observations were made of the interactions between 4- to 8-year-old boys and their parents after the parents had been given a socially desirable or undesirable response set. (JMB)

Ten elementary school teachers were asked to select from their classrooms boy and girl pairs whom they would label as best, average, and least well-behaved in classroom conduct. Retrospective teacher ratings and immediate behavioral observation data were then collected for each of these students. (Author/JMB)

Behaviors observed in 47 families interacting at home were recorded in terms of interactions between a target child and other family members. The types of behaviors emitted by a target child to parents versus siblings were analyzed as were the types of responses that parents versus siblings gave to the target child's behavior. (Author/RH)

Examined was the ability of parents of 12 deviant and 12 nondeviant boys, age 4-8 years, to bias home observation data by influencing their child's behavior in socially desirable and undesirable directions. The parents were given the response set to present their child as "good", "bad", and usual (normal) during six 45-minute observations of…

Differences between 28 referred (for acting-out behavior) and 28 nonreferred children (4 to 8 years old) and their families were investigated using three methods-clinic observation, home observation, and parent questionnaires. (Author/SBH)

This report presents termination and followup evaluations of a parent training program based on behavior modification principles. Treatment termination outcome data was obtained for 22 families, and followup data was collected on 14 of these families at three and eight months after treatment. Results indicated a fairly high level of success at…

In summarizing the results of naturalistic observations of children, it is often useful to have a reading of the child's overall deviance and the responses of social agents to these deviant behaviors. Traditionally, investigators have categorized a series of child behaviors as deviant based solely on their own assumptions with no empirical basis…

The purpose of this study was to compare the behavior of family members at home as recorded by audio tape recordings in two conditions--with an observer present or absent. Behavioral differences were expected as a function of differential reactivity to these observational procedures. The results revealed no behavioral differences between…

The present study investigated differences between referred and nonreferred children and their families on the basis of home and clinic observations and parent questionnaires. Subjects were 28 families with children between 4 and 8 years of age who had been referred to a clinic for acting-out behavior and 28 nonreferred controls matched on several…

The present research was designed to answer two basic questions: (1) Do children who are referred for treatment of behavior problems in one setting also exhibit such behavioral problems in the others? (2) Does behavior modification in the primary setting have any systematic effect on children's behavior in the other (secondary) setting?…