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Shaping data collection congruent with experimental hypotheses

K D O'leary1, R N Kent, J Kanowitz

  • 1State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|April 1, 1975
PubMed

Insights

Experimenter feedback significantly biased observational recordings of disruptive behavior. Contingent feedback led to underreporting of target behaviors, highlighting potential bias in behavioral research.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Observational Research Methods
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Accurate behavioral observation is crucial for research and clinical assessment.
  • Experimenter influence, including instructions and feedback, can potentially bias observational data.
  • Understanding these influences is key to ensuring the validity of behavioral recordings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of experimenter instructions and contingent feedback on observational recordings of disruptive child behavior.
  • To determine if feedback influences observers' recording of target versus control behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Four observers recorded disruptive behaviors from "baseline" and "treatment" videotapes of children.
  • Observers received specific instructions about expected changes in target and control behaviors.
  • Contingent positive and negative feedback was provided during the "treatment" phase observation.

Main Results:

  • Target behaviors were recorded less frequently by observers during the "treatment" phase.
  • Recordings of control behaviors remained unaffected by the feedback manipulation.
  • The results indicate a clear influence of experimenter feedback on observer recordings.

Conclusions:

  • Contingent feedback from experimenters can introduce significant bias into behavioral recordings.
  • Researchers should avoid using contingent feedback with observers to maintain data objectivity.
  • Findings underscore the importance of unbiased data collection in behavioral science.

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