An Empirical Analysis of the Components of Behavioral Objectives

This report is the first of a proposed series in which the structure and characteristics of behavioral objectives are investigated. The present study was designed to assess college students' perceptions of the precision or observability of statements of behavioral objectives and of three components (the verb, the condition(s), and the criterion) of such statements. The results of this study clearly indicate that conditions and criteria contribute to individuals' perceptions of objectives. This is in marked contrast to findings of earlier studies, where the emphasis was on the verb. The present study provides strong indication that variables other than the observability of the verb must be considered when objectives are constructed.