ABA Chapter 4 Measuring Behavior Flashcards
What 3 dimensional quantities does behavior have for measurement?
Repeatability
Temporal extent
Temporal Locus
What is repeatability?
AKA countability; Instances of a response class can occur repeatedly through time (i.e behavior can be counted.
What is temporal extent?
Every instances of behavior occurs during some amount of time (i.e., the duration of behavior can be measured).
What is temporal locus?
Every instance of behavior occurs at a certain point in time with respect to other events (i.e., when behavior occurs can be measured).
What are all measures based on repeatability?
Count
Rate/Frequency
Celeration
Define celeration.
Measures of how rates of responses change over time.
Free Operant
Behaviors that have discrete beginning and ending points, require minimal displacement of the organism in time and space, can be emitted at nearly any time, do not require much time for completion, and can be emitted over a wide range of response rates.
Measures Based on Temporal Extent
Duration
Measures Based On Temporal Locus
Response Latency (aka latency) Interresponse Time
2 derivative measures
Percentage
Trial to Criterion
When do you use rate?
When behavior has a discrete beginning or end.
When do you not use rate?
Recording behaviors that occur only within limited or restricted conditions (e.g discrete trial data, as trials measured by opportunities)
- measuring continuous behaviors that occur for extended periods of time.
Formula for Celeration
count per unit of time/per unit of time
Use duration measurement when.
- for behaviors that occur for too long a period of time or too short a period of time.
- high rates of behaviors.
ex. : rocking, rapid jerks, on task and off task behaviors, continuous behaviors, ect.
Trails to Criterion
A measure of the number of response opportunities needed to achieve a predetermined level of performance criteria.
What can you use in a trials to criterion?
count, rate, duration and latency measures
What are two definitional measures?
Topography
Magnitude
3 procedures for measuring behavior:
- Event recording
- Timing
- Time Sampling
Eventing Recording
-Methods to record the number of times a response occurs.
Event recording devices.
Pencil and paper, wrist counters, hand tally, digital counter, masking tape, pennies, buttons, paper clips, calculators, ect,
When do you use event recording?
each response has a discrete beginning and end (free operants)
When not to use eventing recording when:
responses occue at very high rates and/or continous behaviors (e.g on task behaviors, humming, ect.)
Timing is used to measure:
Duration
response latency
interresponse time (IRT)
Time Sampling (AKA?)
AKA: Interval Recording
- variety of methods for recording behavior during intervals or at specific moments in time.
What does time sampling methods gives us ________ of the actual instances of behavior.
approximation
3 times of Time Sampling
Whole interval Recording
Partial Interval Recording
Momentary Time Sampling
Whole-Interval Recording
- Watch the behavior the entire observation session .
What kind of behavior would you use for whole-interval recording?
continuous behavior.
How precise does whole-interval recording measure?
underestimates rate of behavior. The greater the interval the greater degree which the recording will underestimate actual occurrence of the behavior.
What does whole interval recording measure?
Yields an estimate of total duration.
How precise does Partial Interval Recording measure?
overestimates total duration and underestimates the rate of a high frequency behavior.
What kind of behavior would you use partial interval recording?
Good to use when you are trying to increase duration or decrease frequency.
- when behavior has a discrete beginning and end.
How precise does momentary time sampling measure?
over estimates , underestimates or neither
Momentary time sampling is used with what behaviors?
Primary to measure continuous activity behaviors such as engagement with a task or activity.
Momentary time sampling is not recommended for?
Measuring low frequency, or short duration behaviors.
Advantage of momentary time sampling?
observer does not have to attend continuously.
Disadvantages for momentary time sampling?
Must of the behavior of interest is missed or unaccounted.
Planned Activity Check (aka?)
PLACHECK
- for groups
- variation of momentary time sampling
- person looks at group to see with # of kids engaging in targeted activity.
Measurement by permanent product
Measuring behavior after it occurred by measuring the effects that the behavior produced on the environment.
Ex post facto measurement
measurement that takes place after the behavior has occurred.
Contrived permanent product
Behaviors that do not have a direct effect of the environment can be measured by permanent product through usin video tape, photos, audiotapes ect.
