These calls were clogging up the phone lines and costing the telephone company substantial amounts of money. The company began charging for each directory assistance call and the number of calls decreased dramatically. You have labeled the behavior. If you identify what the person says or does when angry, then you have identified the behavior. Screamed, ran up the stairs, slammed the door describes the behavior that could be labeled as anger.
Behaviors have one or more dimensions that can be measured.
Frequency, duration, and intensity are all physical dimensions of a behavior. Behaviors can be observed, described, and recorded by others or by the individual engaging in the behavior. Because behavior is the action of an individual and has physical dimensions it can be observed. Because it is observable, the person who sees the behavior can describe it and record its occurrence. Once we can understand the environmental events that cause behaviors to occur, we can change the events in the environment in order to change the behavior.