Nonreactive measure(s). You could use public records (e.g., school records of the number of times the school contacted the mother about discipline problems with the son), or you could use simple...

Nonreactive measure(s). You could use public records (e.g., school records of the number of times the school contacted the mother about discipline problems with the son), or you could use simple observation and select some specific physical signs (e.g., proximity of the mother and son), expressive gestures (e.g., smiles or frowns), or language patterns (e.g., use of certain words). Other types of simple observations also could be used. For example, if one point of contention between the mother and son was the “messiness” of the son’s room, when making home visits the practitioner could unobtrusively look into the son’s room. If the room is too neat (e.g., everything perfectly in its place, etc.), then the mother may be putting too much stress on her son to behave. If the room is too messy (e.g., nothing in place, what the son might do if he didn’t exercise any control whatsoever), then parental guidance may have broken down, which is a concern in this context. If the room is somewhat messy (e.g., what mother–son negotiate to be an acceptable degree of private sloppiness), then that is a positive in this context.