Post-session verbal reports and the experimental analysis of behavior.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Experimental psychology often uses post-session interviews to gather data on covert verbal behavior.
• These reports, detailing within-session hypotheses, are frequently used to interpret nonverbal performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and causal status of post-session verbal reports in experimental analyses.
• To advocate for a methodological shift in interpreting such data.

Main Methods:

• The study critically examines the common practice of using post-session interviews for verbal subjects.
• It analyzes the procedural adequacy and accuracy of retrospective verbal reports.

Main Results:

• Post-session reports on covert verbal behavior are often inaccurate and lack procedural detail.
• Even accurate reports do not represent causal explanations for concurrent nonverbal behavior.

Conclusions:

• Verbal reports from post-session interviews should be considered instances of behavior, not causes.
• Methodological rigor in experimental analysis requires treating these reports as data points, not explanations.