Today, I’m discussing behavioral observations and the intricacies of describing them in professional records. While I’m sure many of the facets of what I’ve been writing and how I’ve been writing it are primarily supervisor specific at this point, there are some interesting aspects of the process I imagine are wholly applicable across the board.

• Stick to the visuals.
• Describe the behavior concretely.
• Avoid impressions and assumptions.

1. Stick to the Visuals.

When looking at behavior and trying to convey it to others, it’s natural to want to include aspects of character implied by those behaviors. For example, an individual doesn’t hold the door for the person just a few steps behind them. It’s easy to describe the event in a way that represents the behavior negatively. For example, person A “failed” to hold the door for Person B, compared to Person A opened the door and walked into the building without looking behind them. It’s about what we see, not what we believe. There is a time for impression, and it’s best not to include it when focusing on an individual’s behavior versus character or personality.

2. Describe the Behavior Concretely.

While we focus on behavior with the intention of describing it, understanding how to convey those aspects is just as important as what to say. Sticking to the visuals seems easy enough, but executing those observations in words is anything but. Consider someone who seemingly speaks to hear their own voice. (We all know the kind) Usually, we may describe this person as “talkative”; however, that description leaves a lot to question. Do they speak more than others? Is it relevant to the conversation they’re having? Is it with formal or informal vocabulary? Do they use slang or jargon? If so, what kind? The possible questions are endless, and our job isn’t to answer them but to present our observations in a way that alleviates the need to ask them.

3. Avoid Impressions and Assumptions.

Describing behavior without including our own beliefs and biases is, in many ways, contradictory to what we’ve learned growing up. Even more counterintuitive, it’s not what you’d expect in psychology. At face value, psychology is commonly understood as a way to describe the “why” of behavior and not necessarily the what. We care less about what the individual is doing and more about what it means. But are the two so different from each other? A good behavioral observation should be able to accomplish both by only needing to do one. That same “talkative” individual from earlier may interrupt others often, use informal vocabulary and slang, wear worn-out clothing tattered with holes, and have fleeting eye contact with only moments of direct attention. These descriptions come together to form a larger picture of the person that informs others of their potential personal background, financial status, and how they may have been raised. The “why” can be better discerned and understood if there’s a good “what” before it.

After the Description

To sum it up, observing behavior informs our impressions, but describing them is meant to allow others to develop their own impressions without implicit bias. After we’ve provided our description and allowed others to determine meaning themselves, we can move into providing our impressions and assessment. How does the behavior inform our general assessments of personality or cognitive functions and vice versa? The questions and answers resulting from an excellent behavioral observation can help educate our formulations and treatment plans, making the efficient execution of the exercise extremely practical.

“Magnifying glass” by Todd Chandler is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.