OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS OF CHILD BEHAVIOR AND RELATIONAL DYNAMICS 1

Academic Year 2026/2027 - Teacher: ELISABETTA SAGONE

Course Structure

Different practical activities will be carried out to help students learn the most useful observational methods for competently pursuing their future profession as psychologists.

Required Prerequisites

This course requires basic knowledge referred to developmental and educational psychology to better deal with the study of the current discipline.

Attendance of Lessons

Attendance at classes is strongly recommended and will be organized according to the schedule officially published on the website.

Detailed Course Content

The course aims to propose the main reference theories related to the observational method, useful techniques for coding videotaped behaviors, references to the setting of observation and the relationship between the observer and the observed subject.

In detail, the methodological part will focus on the following contents:

-Introduction to the observation of childhood behavior.

-The reference theories of the observational method.

-Who, what, what to observe.

-The choice of analysis units.

-Data collection.

-Observation tools: narrative descriptions, checklists, rating scales.

-Reliability and validity of the observational method.

The in-depth section will focus on the analysis of the observational method applied to two of the most well-known paradigms in psychological research and intervention practice, namely the Lausanne Trilogue Play and the Triadic Interaction Analytical Procedure, used to understand intra-family dynamics.

Textbook Information

1) Baumgartner, E. (2018). L'osservazione del comportamento infantile. Teorie e strumenti. Con aggiornamento online. Carocci, Roma.

Students will have to add two texts to the manual of their choice from the following:

2) Visani E., Di Nuovo S., Loriedo C., Il FACES IV. Il modello circonflesso di Olson nella clinica e nella ricerca, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2014.
3) Malagoli Togliatti M., Mazzoni S., Osservare valutare e sostenere la relazione genitori-figli, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2006.
4) Venturelli E., Fruggeri L., Cigala A., Valutazione del funzionamento familiare, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2022.

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Students will be assessed orally on the texts included in the program.

The evaluation criteria that are followed for the exam are presented:

Adequacy of expression regarding content and method

Breadth of thematic awareness and lexical correctness

Critical insight capability

Interdisciplinary liaison capacity

Ability to rework knowledge

Ability to transfer knowledge to practical contexts

Degree Course in

Psychological Sciences and Techniques