Behavioral interviewing: what is it and what is it for in psychology?

We explain what this psychotherapeutic technique consists of, its phases and other details.

The behavioral interview is a technique of inquiry and collection of information used in the field of clinical psychology and psychological treatment..

It is a tool based on scientific principles and necessary to apply at the beginning of the therapeutic process to find out which situations and problematic behaviors of the patient need to be addressed and modified.

In this article we explain what the behavioral interview consists of, what its objectives are and other details of interest.

Behavioral assessment in psychology

Behavioral assessment in psychology, and particularly within cognitive-behavioral therapies, is a paradigm that emerged as an alternative to traditional assessment based on unobservable phenomena and abstract constructs, more typical of the psychodynamic approach, which has dominated much of clinical psychology during the last century.

Treatment based on a behavioral approach focuses on observable and overt behavior as the focus of assessment and subsequent psychological treatment. and subsequent psychological treatment. Although covert variables are not ruled out, they are not considered to have a direct influence on the person's behavior. This type of assessment is therefore based on scientific principles and assumptions that can be validated through inquiry and inference, with methods such as behavioral interviewing and other techniques.

In order to perform a behavioral assessment, different methods and procedures can be used to detect problem behaviors and their parameters (antecedents, mediating and moderating variables, consequents, etc.). One way to reduce contamination and errors during the assessment process is to use multiple assessment instruments and sources of information (coworkers, family members, friends, etc.).

Among the most commonly used assessment tools are: behavioral observation, cognitive-behavioral assessment, psychophysiological assessment and the behavioral interview, which will be discussed in more detail below.

Behavioral interviewing: definition and objectives

The behavioral interview is an assessment tool designed to collect information about the patient's demands and the relevant parameters of situations and problem behaviors. Although it has an interview format, it can also be used in a self-administered manner.

The application of the behavioral interview should meet the following objectives:

• Provide the patient with an explanation of what is to be done during the interview, the reasons why detailed and specific information is needed about his or her specific problems, situations and behaviors.

• Identify the parameters of the problem behaviors, as well as their frequency, intensity and duration (e.g., how often does it occur, how long has it been occurring, how long has it been occurring).

• Identify the problem behaviors and define them in behavioral terms, objectively and precisely (e.g., what exactly is happening in that area, what is wrong with your work, what is wrong with your work).

• Determine the antecedents of the occurrence and non-occurrence of the problem behavior (e.g., what happened before it happened, what were you thinking before you did it, what did you think before you did it).

• Determine the consequences of the problem behavior (e.g., what happened right after, what did he/she feel right after the behavior ended).

• Identify the patient's resources and strengths.

• Establish the measurement of relevant behaviors, such as who or when they will be recorded.

• At the end, make a summary and assess whether the interviewee has correctly understood the whole process and agrees.

Phases and application process

In order to conduct a behavioral interview correctly, a series of phases and specific guidelines must be followed.. First, the general objective of the interview should be established and the patient's current functioning should be investigated in order to identify the existence of maladaptive and inappropriate behaviors in one or more contexts.

Sometimes in this first phase it can happen that the interviewer focuses too much on the subject's history; and although an understanding of the origin and genesis of the problems can provide additional knowledge, the really important information is the present and what the patient is providing at the present moment..

In order to be able to satisfactorily assess all problem behaviors, we must try to make a description as precise as possible, always including the parameters of frequency, intensity and duration in relation to the different situations in which they occur, as this will facilitate the task of the clinician throughout the behavioral interview, when determining whether these behaviors are a problem because they are deficient or because they occur in excess. . Normally, if the patient has no previous experience doing cognitive-behavioral therapy, he or she may have some difficulty in identifying and answering questions that involve differentiating and distinguishing between thoughts, emotional states, behaviors and physiological responses, all of which are organized in a behavioral structure. However, the practitioner's job is also to educate the patient in discriminating between the different levels of behavior.

During the behavioral interview, it is important that the clinician helps the patient to operationalize the behavioral traits, attitudes and moods; that is, it is a matter of making concrete descriptions that are objective and precise in order to be able to intervene effectively on the variables.

Finally, we should not forget to collect information regarding the generalization process that the problem behavior has had in other areas of the patient's life. This can lead to a more exhaustive analysis of certain environments (work, school, home, etc.) in order to intervene in them.. At the end of the interview, the clinician will provide a conceptualization of the problem, detail the intervention strategies to be followed, as well as a rough estimate of the duration of the treatment.

An example of a behavioral interview

The following are some of the most common questions asked in a typical behavioral interview:

• Describe, in detail, the reason for your consultation.

• Describe, as best you can, what is wrong with you (what you are feeling, what you are thinking, what you think about the problem that brings you here).

• Specify the last time the problem occurred (What, how, where and when).

• In general, how often does the problem occur, how long does it last, how intensely does it occur (on a scale of 1 [not at all] to 5 [a lot])?

• How do you consider that the problem that brings you here affects your daily life?

• Does the problem occur in specific situations? Please describe which ones (characteristics of the situation, people present, what happens before and after, etc.).

• Tell more about the history of the problem, when did these manifestations begin?

• Specify what, when, where and how it happened to you the first time they appeared, and under what circumstances.

• Since then, has the problem worsened, has it continued at the same intensity, is it more intense, is it less intense?

• Have you sought help before? If so, with which professionals, which treatments and on what dates.

• Finally, to what do you think your problem is due?

Bibliographical references:

• Caballo, V. E., Buela-Casal, G., & Sierra, J. C. (1996). Manual de evaluación en psicología clínica y de la salud. Siglo XXI de España Editores.

• Edelstein, B.A. and Yoman, J. (1991). The behavioral interview. In V.E. Caballo (Comp.), Manual de técnicas de terapia y modificación de conducta (pp. 751-775). Madrid: Siglo XXI

• Fernández, M. Á. R., García, M. I. D., & Crespo, A. V. (2012). Manual of cognitive behavioral intervention techniques. Desclée de Brouwer.