ASSESSMENT OF RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION RECORD FOR DEVELOPMENTAL CARE

Due to time constraints, clinicians are rarely able to carry out neuro behavioral assessments that use the Naturalistic Observation of Newbor n Behavior Instrument. The content validity, interrater reliability, a nd criterion-related validity for a less time-consuming instrument, th e Modified Infant Behavioral Observation Record (MIBOR) for developmen t care, was evaluated in this study. Eight developmental care speciali sts evaluated the MIBOR for content validity. Fifteen infants (birth w eight < 1,500 g) were observed to determine interrater reliability, an d three were observed to evaluate criterion-related validity. The cont ent validity of the MIBOR, as determined by average congruence, was 96 .9%. Interrater reliability for each developmental care subsystem rang ed from 67% to 98%. Three of the four subsystems on the MIBOR achieved criterion-related validity, achieving on agreement of r = .60.