APA Dictionary of Psychology

an evaluation of an individual’s physiological and behavioral responses to a stimulus and the environmental or psychosocial conditions under which they occur. This type of assessment is especially appropriate when individuals cannot directly report their reactions because of age (e.g., infants) or impairment (e.g., dementia) or because the measured reaction is nonconscious. For example, a biobehavioral assessment of an infant’s response to sound might be conducted to identify any hearing difficulties as early as possible so that appropriate intervention can be undertaken with the best potential for success. In the assessment, an audiologist might present various controlled tones to the infant in a soundproof environment while other practitioners record auditory event-related potentials, obtain electroencephalography data, and monitor the baby’s movements, facial expressions, and vocalizations.