Exporting analogue behavioral observation from research to clinical practice: Useful or cost-defective?

The special section on analogue behavioral observation (ABO) provided an in -depth review of various ABO assessment procedures. Despite their availabil ity, however, these procedures are rarely used in clinical practice. This m ay result in part from the traditions on which most ABO assessments are bas ed, from distinctions between clinical and research assessment environments . and from the need for more information about the cost-effectiveness of AB O strategies for meeting specific needs of clinicians in applied settings. Suggestions for bridging the research-clinical gap involve investigating mo re thoroughly when ABO does and does not provide useful information for var ious purposes in applied settings and increasing accessibility and cost-eff ectiveness of ABO procedures for practitioners.