METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN DIRECT OBSERVATION - ILLUSTRATIONS WITH THE LIVING IN FAMILIAL ENVIRONMENTS (LIFE) CODING SYSTEM

Reviewed critical aspects of development and use of observational coding systems and data. The use of observational data is an important research tool in assessing adaptive and maladaptive behaviors and the antecedents and consequences that control these behaviors. There are many aspects of observational methodology, however, that can lead to confounds in the data collected, thereby generating invalid results. These issues include the design of the coding system, the coding procedure, the training of observers, and the reactivity of subjects as well as coders. Most of these issues relate to the reliability and validity of the collected data. The importance of certain psychometric properties for observational data are discussed, with practical application of these properties to the development of a complex coding system (Living in Familial Environments, or LIFE). Ending discussions focus on the analyses possible once data are collected.