- Applied Behavior Analysis Measurement and Data Collection Questions and Answers Flashcards

A behavior analyst wants to measure the number of times a student raises their hand during a 30-minute class. Which measurement dimension is being captured?

Answer: Frequency

Frequency (count) measures how many times a behavior occurs within an observation period.

Which data collection method involves dividing an observation session into equal intervals and recording whether the behavior occurred at any point during each interval?

Answer: Partial-interval recording

Partial-interval recording scores an interval as positive if the behavior occurs at any time during the interval, which tends to overestimate behavior.

A therapist measures the time from when an instruction is given to when the child begins to comply. This is a measure of:

Answer: Latency

Latency is the elapsed time between the onset of a stimulus (instruction) and the initiation of the response.

When using a scatterplot to analyze behavioral data, the primary purpose is to:

Answer: Identify temporal patterns and correlations with time of day or activity

Scatterplots display data across time blocks to reveal patterns showing when behavior is more or less likely to occur.

Interobserver agreement (IOA) is best described as:

Answer: The degree to which two or more independent observers record the same data simultaneously

IOA assesses measurement reliability by comparing data collected independently by two observers at the same time.

Which formula is used to calculate exact count IOA for frequency data?

Answer: Smaller count / Larger count × 100

Exact count IOA divides the smaller frequency count by the larger and multiplies by 100 to get a percentage.

A behavior that has a clear beginning and end, making it easy to count discrete occurrences, is best described as having:

Answer: A discrete response unit

Discrete behaviors have distinguishable starts and stops, making frequency-based measurement practical and reliable.