What is description as a goal of behavior analysis? Description is the systematic, observable account of behavior and the conditions in which it occurs. It identifies what happened, who or what was observed, where and when observation occurred, and how the event was measured. Good description creates a dependable record for later prediction or experimental analysis while keeping observation separate from interpretation.
Description answers what happened
A descriptive record identifies events without assigning cause. “Sam left the table twice during a twenty-minute activity” reports an observed pattern. “Sam left because the work was difficult” is an interpretation that needs separate evidence.
Description can cover the form, count, rate, duration, latency, magnitude, sequence, or product of behavior. It can also record relevant setting events, antecedents, consequences, supports, and partner actions. The observation system should match the question.
The BACB BCBA Test Content Outline, 6th edition names description, prediction, and control as goals of behavior analysis. It also covers operational definitions, measurement, representative sampling, graphing, and interpretation.
Define the observation unit
Before collecting data, specify:
- the response or event that counts
- its start and stop boundaries
- the observation period and setting
- eligible opportunities and exclusions
- ordinary supports that remain present
- the measurement method and recording tool
- the observer and source of the information
- the rule for missing or uncertain data
A number without this context is hard to interpret. Three requests could mean three in four opportunities, three in forty, or three during an observation with no defined opportunities.
A fictional arrival record
Dev is a fictional six-year-old who communicates through speech and AAC. His family wants to understand morning arrivals. The team defines arrival as the five minutes after entering the classroom. An accessible greeting means speech, AAC, sign, or gesture directed to a familiar adult before any prompt.
Across eight observed arrivals, Dev greets independently on 3 of 8. His AAC system is available on 6 of 8 arrivals. On the six arrivals with AAC available, he greets on 3 of 6. Staff respond within ten seconds on 2 of 3 greetings.
Each ratio describes a different part of the setting. The record shows a communication-access gap and partner-response gap alongside Dev’s behavior. It leaves the cause of the pattern open.
Direct and indirect sources differ
Direct observation records events as they occur. Interviews, rating scales, and record review provide indirect information about periods the observer may not see. Products such as sent messages or completed tasks can supply another source when their relation to the behavior is established.
Label every source. A caregiver’s report of “most evenings” and direct counts from two evenings offer different evidence. Both may be useful. Combining them into one unlabeled percentage weakens the record.
Baer, Wolf, and Risley emphasized direct, reliable measurement in their account of applied behavior analysis. Modern clinical work can include several evidence types while preserving the source and its limitations.
Private experiences need respectful description
Pain, fear, comfort, preference, and confusion can be known through the person’s own report and other evidence. Record the person’s words or accessible communication accurately. Avoid converting a report into an observed physiological fact.
When health, trauma, sleep, sensory access, medication, or another condition may matter, route the concern to the qualified professional. Descriptive behavior data cannot replace medical or interdisciplinary assessment.
Description differs from prediction and control
Description establishes a dependable account of events. Prediction identifies a relation in which one event reliably varies with another. Control involves experimental evidence that changing a variable produces a change in behavior.
These goals build on each other, though practice rarely follows a perfectly linear sequence. Strong description improves later questions. It can also reveal that the original concern was poorly defined or that an environmental failure deserves attention first.
Protect the denominator
Predefine the observation window and keep missed observations visible. If ten arrivals were scheduled and only eight were observed, report eight observed out of ten scheduled. Then calculate the response proportion among the observed arrivals.
Document cancellations, unavailable materials, absent communication tools, observer changes, and setting disruptions. Such events can be important findings rather than disposable noise.
Use description to improve decisions
Graph the data with dates, phase labels, and meaningful context. Review whether the measure is sensitive to the outcome the person values. Check observer agreement and procedural integrity when the data will drive important decisions.
Description is useful even when a causal analysis is impractical. Its value comes from accuracy, transparency, and fit with the question. Report the observed pattern, the limits of the sample, and the next decision it informs.
Archive the definition and measurement version with the data.
Related terms
Sources
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