The Utility of Verbal and Behavioral Assessments of Value

Abstract

Subjects lived in a laboratory apartment for up to 30 days, engaging in ordinary activities such as reading, sewing, and artwork. The amount of time devoted to each activity was recorded and compared with periodic verbal ratings of the amount of time devoted to the activities. The verbal and observational assessments of the time distribution were very similar, but there were some discrepancies. Based on self-reports and on observation of time actually devoted to the activities, contingencies were arranged in which time devoted to one activity produced time available for a second activity. When the contingency relation was based on behavioral assessment, predictions of time redistribution were more accurate than when the relations were based on verbal assessment. The close correspondence between observed distributions of time and verbally assessed distributions was probably due to the well-specified situation and rigorous assessment methods. Contrary to some cognitive-behavioral accounts, the contingency results suggest that verbal assessment is not necessarily preferable to observation when the two make discrepant predictions. It is suggested that verbal reports might be used more often in behavior analysis in place of lengthy or difficult observations, and attention is drawn to a personality model that parallels important components of behavior analysis.

The Validity of Immediate and Delayed Self‐reports in Training Evaluation: An Exploratory Field Study

“…Encouraging findings have been reported by Bernstein and Michael (1990), in a study of the accuracy of self-reports of the amount of time individuals spent on various activities. Thus, despite the present findings, we remain optimistic that items in a self-report instrument designed to measure on-the-job behaviour change might yield stronger across-and within-person correlations with other measures of that behaviour.…”

Human Simulations in Behavior Analysis (1987–2010): Facilitating Research in Complex Human Behavior

“…For example, Bernstein and Michael (1990) constructed a laboratory apartment setting in which participants lived for up to a month. Though the stimuli and tasks engaged in by the participants resembled those of naturalistic tasks, the researchers were not seeking to understand processes involved in naturalistic living conditions.…”

Integrating Basic and Applied Research and the Utility of Lattal and Perone's Handbook of Research Methods in Human Operant Behavior

“…Bernstein describes research methods that lie somewhere between those used in the laboratory to study convenient behaviors (e.g., button pressing) and those used in real-life situations to study interesting behavior (e.g., interpersonal communication). For example, Bernstein describes dormitory arrangements in which assorted naturalistic behaviors (e.g., reading and writing, arts and crafts, playing a musical instrument, exercising) of college students were observed over extended periods to address such questions as how the students allocated their activity when access to some activities was restricted, and what types of relations could emerge among verbal reports and observational assessments of the behaviors involved (Bernstein & Ebbesen, 1978;Bernstein & Michael, 1990;and see McEntee & Saunders, 1997).…”