OBSERVING AND INTERPRETING BEHAVIORS - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CLINICAL FORUM

Assessment validity relates not to the tests used or the analyses perf ormed, but to the interpretations clinicians assign to results. The me thod used by a clinician to assess behavior is only valid in so far as it is appropriate for a particular purposes and can be interpreted wi th a high degree of confidence. The ''appropriateness'' of a measure a nd the degree of confidence in its interpretation is determined by the extent of which the content, psychometric properties, and ecological relevance all support a particular use. The articles in this clinical forum provide models for examining how behaviors are observed and inte rpreted through norm-referenced tests, criterion-referenced tests, and observational assessment methods.