ABAT Data Collection and Analysis 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A therapist records how long a child engages in self-stimulatory behavior during each session. This is an example of:
- Event recording
- Duration recording (Correct answer)
- Partial-interval recording
- Latency recording
Correct answer: Duration recording
Duration recording captures the total amount of time a behavior occurs, making it suitable for continuous behaviors like self-stimulation.
Question 2: Which visual analysis criterion refers to the average level of data points within a phase?
- Trend
- Level (Correct answer)
- Variability
- Overlap
Correct answer: Level
Level refers to the mean or median value of data within a condition, reflecting the overall magnitude of responding.
Question 3: In a reversal (ABA) design, why is returning to baseline (the second A phase) important for data analysis?
- It gives the client a rest from the intervention
- It demonstrates experimental control by showing behavior reverts without the intervention (Correct answer)
- It allows collection of additional topography data
- It satisfies ethical requirements for equal treatment time
Correct answer: It demonstrates experimental control by showing behavior reverts without the intervention
The second baseline phase demonstrates that behavior changes were caused by the intervention, not extraneous variables, establishing experimental control.
Question 4: A behavior analyst divides a 10-minute session into 30-second intervals and records whether the target behavior occurred at least once per interval. This is:
- Whole-interval recording
- Momentary time sampling
- Partial-interval recording (Correct answer)
- Duration per occurrence recording
Correct answer: Partial-interval recording
Partial-interval recording scores an interval as positive if the behavior occurs at any point during the interval, regardless of duration or frequency.
Question 5: When comparing two phases in a graph, 'percentage of non-overlapping data' (PND) is used to:
- Calculate IOA between observers
- Estimate the treatment effect size (Correct answer)
- Determine the reliability of frequency data
- Identify outliers within a phase
Correct answer: Estimate the treatment effect size
PND quantifies treatment effectiveness by calculating the percentage of intervention data points that exceed the highest baseline data point.
Question 6: Which of the following is a disadvantage of momentary time sampling?
- It is difficult to use with multiple clients simultaneously
- It may miss brief behaviors that do not occur at the exact moment of observation (Correct answer)
- It tends to overestimate the duration of behaviors
- It requires continuous observation throughout the session
Correct answer: It may miss brief behaviors that do not occur at the exact moment of observation
Momentary time sampling only records behavior at the instant the interval ends, so brief behaviors occurring between observation points will not be captured.
Question 7: A graph shows high variability throughout both baseline and intervention phases with no clear trend. The analyst should:
- Conclude the intervention is effective despite the variability
- Continue data collection to identify sources of variability before drawing conclusions (Correct answer)
- Immediately implement a new intervention
- Remove the most extreme data points and reanalyze
Correct answer: Continue data collection to identify sources of variability before drawing conclusions
High variability obscures the effect of intervention; the analyst should investigate potential sources (e.g., setting, procedural drift) before making clinical decisions.
ABAT Data Collection and Analysis 5
A therapist records how long a child engages in self-stimulatory behavior during each session.
This is an example of: