USING TECHNOLOGY TO STUDY HUMAN INTERACTION - PRACTICE AND IMPLICATIONS OF A SEQUENTIAL BEHAVIOR APPROACH

This paper provides a conceptual summary of sequential behavior analys is (SBA) in two contexts: research traditions of studying human intera ction and increasingly capable computer technologies. Directly observi ng interactive behavior is posed as an important means of discovering the salient characteristics of effective interactions across several p rofessional settings, including teaching and coaching as two of the ma ny possibilities. An argument is made for the cautious development and validation of computer applications that provide a new way of looking at experimental phenomena and enable users to uncover useful informat ion previously unavailable through other means. Data from a physical e ducation teacher training setting are presented to illustrate the impo rtance of viewing instructional and clinical settings through an SEA l ens and the potential benefits of sequential data in increasing the ef fectiveness of those settings. The implications of computer technology and its relationship to research, development, and professional educa tion are discussed in changing interdisciplinary contexts.