Although widely utilized within clinical assessment, self-monitoring has received little direct research attention since the early 1980s. The assessment and treatment functions of self-monitoring are described and illustrated in this article. As an assessment method, self-monitoring can provide valuable information for diagnosis, target behavior selection, functional assessment, and treatment monitoring. Research findings delineating variables known to influence the accuracy and reactivity associated with self-monitoring are reviewed. Some suggestions are made for additional research that might be conducted regarding self-monitoring accuracy, effects on clients, and utility within treatment.

The term self-monitoring is used here to refer to an assessment procedure that involves data collection made by the client primarily within naturalistic settings. Self-monitoring involves two component responses. First, the client must discriminate or notice the occurrence of the target behavior. This may be an action, thought, or feeling. Second, the client must produce some record of the occurrence as well as any additional information (e.g., intensity ratings or antecedent stimuli) that is relevant to the particular goals of assessment. This latter response is referred to here as self-recording. These two component responses may occur relatively close together or may be separated temporally in cases where target behaviors are recorded at intervals. They are best regarded as independent responses that may be influenced by different variables (Simkins, 1971). For example, a client may effectively discriminate occurrences of a target behavior, but the client may be reluctant to record these for...