Many applied behavior analysis (ABA) relies on the assessment of the behavior. For data to be useful in a psychological assessment session, there is a need for it to be accurate, valid and reliable. The behavioral assessment has been used to identify fundamental strengths and weaknesses of a patient and identify the development of issues in social, emotional and physical performance. The information is used to provide sustainable intervention related to the patient's functional deficits.
Validity measurement occurs when the measurement is expected to be focused on a specific dimension of socially significant behavior. Accurate measurement happens when the observed values of an event relate to the values of an event. A reliable measurement on the other side occurs when it yields similar values across repeated or recurring measurement of an event (Fisher, Piazza & Roane, 2011). There are a number of factors that cause a threat to the accuracy, reliability, and validity of behavioral measurement. Threats to validity include indirect measurement and ill-suited measurement. Accuracy and reliability threats include ineffective measuring system, human error, measurement bias and observer drift. When there is accuracy of data, the researcher can easily determine the usefulness of collected data for timely and effective decision making, reduce errors and enhance trustworthiness.
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To minimize threats of reliability and accuracy, specific threats must be identified. For the poorly defined measurement system, the researcher can record multiple behaviors simultaneously. In this case, each behavior is recorded at separate occurrences at different time. Another threat to reliability is insufficient training of observer. This includes the amount of knowledge the observer has. To mitigate the error, there is a need to train the observer to understand the fundamental concepts involved behavioral measurement in achieving a 100% success rate.
Reference
Fisher, W. W., Piazza, C. C., & Roane, H. S. (2011). Handbook of applied behavior analysis . New York: Guilford Press.
