Child Observation Report

Lecturer:

Dr. Stephanie L. Knight

Observer:

Afra Mohamed Taha

Observant:

3-4 year old boy

Topic:

Entire Observation

Setting:

Airport. A family consists of a father, a mother, three daughters and a son.

Goal:

Observing the boy to see his entire behavior, in addition to his

reaction to reinforcement and punishment.

Time:

52 minutes

Method used: Systematic Observation (Specimen Record and Event Sampling)

Data collection:
This report is based on a Systematic Observation (Berk, 2003, p.44). I designed a simple
form to record the data based on specimen record and event sampling in which the
researcher records a description of the particular entire steam of behavior, in addition to all
instances of particular behavior during a specified time period. (Berk, 2003, p.44-45)

Analysis and Discussion:

According to Piaget Cognitive Development Theory (Berk, 2003, p.133), this child is in the
preoperational stage (2-7 years), and he behaves normally. When the father left he was upset.
His mother asked him to sit still in one of the chairs. He was lying in an arm chair, moving
his legs up and down. Then he put his feet on the armrest of the chair next to him, where his
sister was sitting. He repeated this behavior several times in attempt to hit his sister. That
made his mother tell him off. However, he still didn't respond. Then he put his head on the
seat and lifted his feet on the back of the chair, and he started to stomp his feet. He then tried
to get down to the floor head first. His mother told him to stop, but he didn't, so she sent one
of his elder sisters to pick him up and put him in the chair in the right way. He repeated the
same behavior and again his mother failed to make him stop, so she sent the other sister to
pick him up. This time his mother warned him not to repeat that, so he stayed in his chair for
a few minutes without doing anything. As we noticed he didn't respond to her in the first
time, but later when she warned him he responded by behaving for a few minutes only.

Children at this age cannot stay for a long time without moving or doing something. Parents
and/or care givers can keep them busy by telling stories, playing with them or maybe by
providing any kind of toys to assure that they are not bored. When they do not have any
thing to do they will try to attract the adults' attention by doing such misbehavior.
The child started to move again. He lied backwards again, repeating the same dangerous
movement. When the mother didn't get any positive reaction, she shouted at him. Then she
walked over to him and pinched him on his arm. He quickly got up and sat quietly. He didn't
cry but his eyes started to tear. He then looked around; I think he wanted to see if any one
had seen what happened. He tried not to cry, and did not want to be seen by others. He
stayed again in his chair for about fifteen minutes and he then continued to do other
dangerous behaviors. He jumped out of his chair. There was a concrete column near the
chair, he walked over to it and started to spin around. His mother told him to go back to his
chair and he did so. His father then came, as soon as the boy saw him he ran to him, and
clung to his legs. The father picked him up and they left.
His movement was obviously dangerous. According to learning theories and children's
milestones, children at this age do not realize the danger.
The mother used presentation of punishment to decrease the undesirable behavior. The
warning and punishment have positive response but for only a short time. Parents can use
positive reinforcement to encourage the child to decrease the undesirable behavior and /or
increase the desirable one. Instead of the punishment, if the mother told the child that this
movement is dangerous and he might fall and hurt himself, she might have gotten a better
response. Children at this age cannot differentiate between dangerous and safe movements;
they have to be under supervision of adults.

My Reaction to the Observation:

I enjoyed observing that child very much. The milestones guidelines helped me analyze and
assess his behavior. However, I felt disappointed and upset when his mother punished him. In
my opinion it would have been a better idea for the mother to explain to her child the
consequences of his actions. Children get bored easily; therefore the mother should have
occupied her child by giving him a toy or telling him a story so the child would stay still.

Behavior Record Form

Time

Behavior Record

9:03 pm

He was lying on an arm chair moving his legs up and down.

9:14 pm

He put his feet on the armrest of the chair next to him, where one of his sisters
was sitting he repeated this behavior several times in attempt to hit his sister.

9:20 pm

That made his mother tell him off. However, he still didnt respond.
He put his head on the seat and lifted his feet on the back of the chair, then he

9:23 pm

started stomping his feet.

He tried to get down to the floor head first. His mother told him to stop, but he
didnt, so she sent one of his elder sisters to pick him up and put him in the

9:28 pm

chair right way.

He repeated the same behavior and again his mother failed to make him stop.
So she sent the other sister to pick him up. This time his mother warned him

9:37 pm

not to repeat that.

He leaned backwards again, repeating the same dangerous move. This time his
mother shouted at him. Then she walked over to him and pinched his arm. He
quickly got up and sat quietly. He didnt cry but his eyes started to tear. He

9:51 pm

then looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened.

He jumped out of his chair. There was a column near the chair, he walked over

9:54 pm

to it and started to spin around.

His mother told him to go back to his chair and he did so.

9:55 pm

His father came, as soon as the boy saw him he quickly got up and ran to him,
he clung to his legs, his father picked him up and they left.

Reference:Berk, L. E. (2003). Child development. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.