Ethological assessment of stable and labile social behaviors during acute psychiatric disorders: clinical applications.

Results are presented which illustrate the use of naturalistic observation techniques to study ongoing patterns of postural, gestural, and spacing behaviors among psychiatric patients hospitalized for acute psychiatric disorders. Behavioral frequencies are analyzed in terms of stable and labile characteristics by week of hospitalization, clinical diagnosis, and clinical outcome. Findings are interpreted from both clinical psychiatric and ethological perspectives. The discussion emphasizes the potential value of observational data gathering techniques for disorder assessment and theory development.