We provide a practical overview of the most important steps of behavioral observation and coding, with a focus on how these processes are typically executed within social and personality psychology. The chapter has six main sections. We begin by explaining what is meant by behavioral observation and coding, and we outline the strengths and challenges of this method. We then describe two guiding principles that apply throughout observation and coding. Next, we highlight several aspects of observation and coding for researchers to consider, many of which vary along a continuum. We also discuss practical questions regarding coding, such as the number of coders needed. We describe the analysis of behavioral data – from establishing inter-rater agreement to running models with the coded behaviors as outcomes of interest. Lastly, we discuss concerns related to automated processing of videos and text and topics related to the open-science movement.

This commentary discusses the value of considering general interpersonal mechanisms across personality disorders, argues that specific strategies for addressing personality disorder problems may lie in the specifics of different relationship contexts, and notes the importance of developing a model of how psychotherapy targets relationship contexts so as to improve psychological health.