Observer Tracking

'''Abstract''': During practice exercises or demonstration, participants are assigned a structured role as observers, using specific guidelines to encode the communication process.

'''Overview''': It is very easy, in watching a demonstration or videotape, or even when engaged in a role play, to get caught up in the story, in the content of communication. Structured observation focuses the participant’s attention on the process of what is happening. It also gives observers an active rather than passive role during demonstrations and exercises.

'''Guidelines''': Provide very clear instruction in exactly what is to be observed, and how. Provide a printed coding sheet and guidelines for more complex tasks. There is a temptation for observers to stop tracking and get caught up in the content, so use procedures designed to keep observers on task. Circulate and watch the coding process, stop action and ask observers for their observations, etc.

'''Observer Tracking Example 1: Wrestling-Dancing'''. Define two extremes of interaction style. In dancing the two parties are working together, with a heightened sensitivity to each other, listening, responding, making progress, and, most importantly, cooperating. In wrestling the two parties are grappling in a struggle of power or adroitness, each endeavoring to throw the other by tripping or overbalancing. Use a scale from -5 (maximum wrestling) to +5 (maximum dancing). In between is a zero point, which is a kind of neutral zone characterized by neither strife nor harmony. Observers rate the state of interaction early in a demonstration or practice, and then give a new rating whenever they perceive a shift in the interaction in one direction or the other. Whenever a new rating is given, make notes as to what happened to make a difference. What was said, by whom, etc? Thanks to: Jeff Allison

'''Observer Tracking Example 2: Readiness Level'''. Using a readiness ruler (0 to 10), the observer judges the level of client readiness throughout an interaction. Based on the client’s first few responses, an initial rating is given. Then whenever the observer perceives a change in the level of client readiness during the interaction, a new rating is given and the observer notes what the counselor was doing just before the change. Thanks to: Steve Rollnick

'''Observer Tracking Example 3: Reflection'''. The observer focuses on reflective listening statements. Each response from the interviewer is coded as a reflection (R), question (Q), or other (O). Interviewer responses are recorded sequentially. When a reflection is coded, it is further rated as a simple, complex, or summary reflection.

'''Observer Tracking Example 4: Client Commitment Language'''. Here the observer attends to five categories of client speech that constitute change talk, with specific attention to Commitment speech.

'''Observer Tracking Example 5: OARS Coding'''. Here the observer attends to four counselor behaviors that comprise OARS.

'''Notes''': Explain fully and carefully how the coding system works, and what categories mean. It is helpful to have a practice tape segment of a few minutes, and then give your own codes, or at least compare codes. Avoid detailed discussions of which is the “right” answer. Attaining high reliability of coders takes quite a while. The point is not perfection, but attending to process rather than content. When you assign an observer task, be sure to use the information during the exercise or debriefing. It’s frustrating to keep observational notes and then have them unused. That communicates a low importance of observational tracking. Still more detailed coding systems are used in research (MISC, MITI), but something of this complexity is not recommended for use by untrained observers. They may be useful in advanced training.