Psychology Essay Sample on Behavioral Problems

Case study one: Johnny

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Age:

Grade: Kindergarten

Johnny has an emotional behavior disorder due to various factors such as he has learning difficulties but he does not have any health issues (Simpson & Zionts 2002). Moreover, he receives his education in an inclusive classroom but still he is unable to speak a two-word utterance and communicates through picture exchange system. Johnny does inappropriate actions under normal circumstances such as laughing after pinching his teacher. He also has difficulty in establishing social relationship among people around him such as pinching his teacher and biting his fellow students. Johnnys aggressive behavior is not to seek attention, but it is because of his fear and anxiety while relating to school matters. In addition, he has a feeling of unhappiness makes him do some unappropriated activities (Simpson & Zionts 2002).

Interval recording will be used as the method of observing Johnnys behavior. Interval recording is effective because the observation will only take place at certain predetermined intervals in order to determine whether the behavior is reoccurring at a specific time or in a certain environment (Cohen & Balaban 2001). This will help to provide concrete answers that explains Johnnys behavior and its causes. Johnny will not be observed continuously but only on areas of concern thus, this will save time. Therefore, Johnnys observation will take place during one-on-one instruction and while he is with his fellow students. Through interval recording I will be able to observe him and figure out the percentage that the behavior has occurred. Essentially, it will assist in accessing and analyzing Johnnys behavior.

Case study two: Alex

Age: 16

Grade: 10th

Alex has a learning disorder as a result of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, because he has difficulties sustaining focus, lacks determination, make careless mistakes, and he is disorganized (Simpson & Zionts 2002). This can be evident through Alex lack of finishing his school work, sleeping in class, as well as not turning in his homework and the fact that he is sixteen years and in eighth grade. Alex is hyperactivity he move about continuously even in situations that are inappropriate such as he frequently asks to go to the bathroom. In addition, Alex is easily distracted by unrelated thoughts in school. For example, his passion in becoming a professional athlete has become a reason for his failure and has made him to ignore work assigned to him in class even when he has the capacity to do the work. Alex is always in trouble because he does not follow instructions and fail to accomplish duties assigned to him (Simpson & Zionts 2002). For example, instead of participating in group discussion during math classes he reads a magazine.

Duration recording will be used to determine the amount of time Alex spend off-task during class. This observation method is effective for Alexs behavior because it varies in length of time. Additionally, it will be used to calculate the average time display for the number of time that Alex will show the off-task behaviors. I will use this method to measure the amount of time Alex spend off-track by dividing the duration that the behavior occurred by total observation time (Cohen & Balaban 2001).

References

Cohen, H. D. & Balaban, N. (2001). Observing and Recording the Behavior of Young Children. California. Teachers College Press.

Simpson, L. R. & Zionts, L. (2002). Emotional and Behavioral Problems: A Handbook for Understanding and Handling Students. New York. Corwin Press.