BAS BAS Data Collection and Analysis 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which data collection method involves recording whether a target behavior occurred at least once during a specified time interval?
- Partial-interval recording (Correct answer)
- Whole-interval recording
- Momentary time sampling
- Continuous event recording
Correct answer: Partial-interval recording
Partial-interval recording marks an interval as positive if the behavior occurs at any point during that interval, which tends to overestimate behavior occurrence.
Question 2: A behavior analyst supervisor reviews a trainee's frequency data and notices a bimodal distribution. What does this most likely suggest?
- The data contain measurement error only
- Two distinct conditions or antecedents may be influencing the behavior (Correct answer)
- The behavior is occurring at a constant rate
- The trainee used duration recording incorrectly
Correct answer: Two distinct conditions or antecedents may be influencing the behavior
A bimodal distribution in behavioral data often indicates that two separate conditions, settings, or antecedents are producing different rates of the target behavior.
Question 3: Which visual analysis feature refers to the consistency of data points within a phase of a graph?
- Level
- Trend
- Variability (Correct answer)
- Overlap
Correct answer: Variability
Variability describes how much individual data points within a phase deviate from each other or from a central value, reflecting the stability of the behavior.
Question 4: When a supervisor trains staff on interobserver agreement (IOA), which formula is most appropriate for low-frequency behaviors measured with event recording?
- Total count IOA
- Exact agreement IOA (Correct answer)
- Interval-by-interval IOA
- Trial-by-trial agreement
Correct answer: Exact agreement IOA
Exact agreement IOA, also called occurrence/non-occurrence agreement, is preferred for low-frequency behaviors because it avoids inflated agreement from shared non-occurrence intervals.
Question 5: A supervisor notices that data collected by one staff member consistently trend upward regardless of the intervention phase. This is an example of which measurement problem?
- Observer drift (Correct answer)
- Reactivity
- Floor effect
- Ceiling effect
Correct answer: Observer drift
Observer drift occurs when an observer's recording criteria gradually shift from the original operational definition, producing systematic bias in the data over time.
Question 6: In a multiple-baseline design, a supervisor needs to determine when to introduce the intervention to the second tier. What is the primary criterion?
- The first tier shows a counter-therapeutic trend
- The first tier demonstrates stable and improved data following intervention (Correct answer)
- A fixed number of sessions have elapsed in baseline
- The second tier baseline is exactly equal in length to the first
Correct answer: The first tier demonstrates stable and improved data following intervention
The intervention is staggered to the next tier after the previous tier shows a clear, stable behavior change, providing experimental control through the sequential demonstration of effect.
BAS BAS Data Collection and Analysis 1
Which data collection method involves recording whether a target behavior occurred at least once during a specified time interval?