If you have ever shopped online, you probably have some familiarity with the value of ratings. Items are often ranked based on customer reviews, and you may choose to consider products by first considering their ratings.
Psychologists use a variety of tools and techniques to assess behavior, but one of the more established techniques is also based on ratings. Behavior rating scales are typically used to assess problem behaviors and social skills. They are often used to assess behavior in children by creating a scale that can help quantitatively measure the behavior being observed, allowing the observer to rank behaviors in terms of intensity, frequency, duration, or other such measures.
For this Discussion, you will analyze two existing behavior rating scales. You will also consider how you would apply these scales in your practice.
To Prepare
- Review the Learning Resources for this week, as well as the required weekly media programs to gain an understanding of behavioral rating scales. Note: It is critical for you to review all media for this week prior to completing this Discussion.
- Two of the most common behavior rating scales are the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (3rd ed.) and the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (formally called the Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL). Using the Walden Library databases, access the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) and look up and review both of these rating scales. (Note: You will find the reference for this source in this week's Learning Resources.)
Resources
- Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
- Chapter 5, “Improving and Assessing the Quality of Behavioral Measurement” (pp. 101–121)
- Carter, N. F. (2001). Mental measurements yearbook (databases).Links to an external site. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 41 (2), 181–182.
- Dawkins, T., Meyer, A. T., & Van Bourgondien, M. E. (2016).The relationship between the Childhood Autism Rating Scale: Second Edition and clinical diagnosis utilizing the DSM-IV-TR and the DSM-5.Links to an external site. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46 , 3361–3368.
- Kamphaus, R. W., & Dever, B. V. (2016). Behavioral observations and assessment.Links to an external site. In J. C. Norcross, G. R. VandenBos, D. K Freedheim, & R. Krishnamurthy (Eds.), APA handbook of clinical psychology: Applications and methods, vol. 3 (pp. 17–29). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association
- .Post your response to the following:
- Write a description of each scale, including what measures, age range, and other pertinent information are available in the MMY review.
- Describe how you would possibly use each scale in your practice.
- Elaborate on the uses of behavior rating scales in the practice of behavior analysis.