Operational definitions and functional analysis of terms present in the Parental Styles Inventory questions

Abstract

The scientific method prioritizes terms that enable a definition and operational analysis focused on antecedent and consequent variables. These analyses may contribute for the studies in Parental Styles area. This study is an attempt to perform functional analyses and operational definitions of the items present in the Parenting Styles Inventory. The study was conducted through the following steps: identifying and operationalizing in each items terms in observable descriptions, identifying functional relationships between environment and behavior, and formulating predictions based on the functional relationship descriptions. The analysis of the items made it possible to specify topographies and occurrence contexts of different parental and children behaviors and the subsequent identification of possible control variables present in interactions based on positive and negative styles. The possible contributions of this analysis consist in helping to identify the variables involved in functional relationships about Parental Styles among behavioral scientists. It’s suggested direct observation in intervention settings to complement the data for a complete and reliable functional analysis.