SCD Measurement

Question 1

Observational codes

Answer 1

A. Behaviors and Stimuli need to be defined into discrete categories.
B. Make sure the operational definitions are nonoverlapping.
C. Codes can be exhaustive or open ended.

Question 2

Observational Codes Categories

Answer 2

Two categories of events need to be identified:

1. Behaviors of interest need to be selected.
2. Stimuli need to be coded and defined before measurement can occur.

• Anything that is not a behavior but occurs can be considered a stimulus.
• Examples: presentation of materials, presence of certain objects, etc.

Question 3

Direct measurement

Answer 3

Observation of the BEHAVIOR and recording it AS it OCCURS.

DIRECT CONTACT with behavior

Question 4

Indirect Measurement

Answer 4

Measures sample via products of events and/or stimuli.

*NO CONTACT with behavior.

Question 5

Continuous Measurement Procedures

Answer 5

Measurement conducted in a manner such that ALL INSTANCES OF THE RESPONSE CLASS of INTEREST are detected during the observation period. - event, duration, latency, IRT, etc.

*MEASURING EVERY INSTANCE of the behavior within an observation period.

Question 6

Three Measurable Dimensions of Behavior

Answer 6

1. Repeatability. 2. Temporal Extent. 3. Temporal Locus

Question 7

Repeatability & Examples

Answer 7

a) Behavior CAN BE COUNTED.
b) Instances of behavior OCCUR THROUGH TIME.

Count, Frequency/Rate and Celeration

Question 8

Temporal Extent & Examples

Answer 8

Behavior OCCURS for a PERIOD OF TIME . The length of behavior can be measured.

Durations, Interresponse Time

Question 9

Temporal Locus & Examples

Answer 9

Behavior occurs at CERTAIN POINT IN TIME with respect to other events. WHEN BEHAVIORS OCCUR can be measured.

Question 10

Frequency

Answer 10

a) SIMPLE COUNT of the INSTANCES of behavior, represented by a tally.
b) Frequency is always given in whole numbers and tells you exactly how many occurrences were observed.

Question 11

Use frequency when…

Answer 11

1. NUMBER of occurrences is the INTERFERING DIMENSION of the behavior.
2. Behavior has CLEAR BEGINNING and END (is “DISCRETE”).
3. Count TIMES are SIMILAR (e.g. always counting across 50 minute class periods - SAME INTERVAL TIME.)

Question 12

Rate

Answer 12

a) the number of RESPONSES per UNIT of TIME.
b) BEHAVIOR over TIME.
c) reported per second, minute, day, week, month, or year.

Report the unit of time in your measurement - “Tom left his seat 4 times in 10 minutes.”

Question 13

Use rate when…

Answer 13

1. Free operants - Behaviors that are FREE to OCCUR at ANYTIME and have a CLEAR BEGINNING and END.
2. NUMBER of OCCURRENCES is the INTERFERING dimension of the behavior.

Do not use for continuous behaviors that occur for extended periods of time. A 40 minute tantrum per day would be recorded as 1 incident in 6 hours - it does not show enough information.

Question 14

Celeration

Answer 14

a) Count per unit of time over time.
b) Frequency(rate)/time.

**Rate of responding changing over time.

Question 15

Duration

Answer 15

Measures the time that passes from ONSET to CESSATION.

May be reported as “total duration” or “average duration”

Question 16

Use duration when…

Answer 16

1. LENGTH of time that BEHAVIOR occurs is the INTERFERING dimension of the behavior.
   i. e., The amount of time the student spends in the bathroom or laying on the floor.

May be use in combination with frequency (3 occurrences for an average of 3 minutes)

Question 17

Interresponse Time

Answer 17

a) The time between one response ending and the next response beginning. i.e., The time between math problems.
b) Duration from CESSATION of ONE OCCURRENCE, to the START of the NEXT.

Question 18

Use interresponse time when…

Answer 18

Length of TIME BETWEEN OCCURRENCES is the interfering behavior.

Example: in quitting cigarette smoking

Question 19

IRT & High rates of Responding =

IRT & Low rates of Responding =

Answer 19

Short IRT: high rates of responding

Long IRT: low rates of responding

Question 20

Latency

Answer 20

Duration from the onset of a stimulus to the targeted response.

(e.g. duration from a peer saying “how are you?” to the response “good, how are you?”)

Question 21

Percentage

Answer 21

Proportion quantity of occurrence per opportunity

Question 22

Trials to Criterion

Answer 22

a) measure of responses opportunities needed to achieve a level of performance.

b) number of opportunities till predetermined responding is achieved.
(e. g. It took Jimmy 5 quizzes till he reached 100%)

A trial depends on the nature of the target behavior and the desired performance level.

Question 23

Time Sampling - Interval Recording

Answer 23

Observing/recording behavior at specific periods of time

a) Provides an estimate of behavior.
b) Useful with continuous and high-rate Bx

Question 24

Advantages of Time Sampling

Answer 24

1. Works well for high-rate behaviors. 2. Provides an estimate of behavior across time (an approximation). 3. Can be used to monitor several students

Question 25

Whole-Interval

Answer 25

Behavior occurs for the entire duration of a pre-set interval. a) Under estimates behavior. b) More likely to be used to increase behaviors (on-task). c) Reported as percent of interval

Question 26

Partial-Interval

Answer 26

Behavior occurs at anytime during a pre-set interval a) Over estimates behavior. b) More likely to be used to decrease behaviors (out-of-seat). c) Used to measure continuous behavior. d) Multiple occurrences in an interval are scored as One. e) Does not capture duration. f) Compute the % of intervals that the behavior was displayed.

Question 27

Momentary Time Sampling, Momentary Interval Sampling, or Time Sampling

Answer 27

Recording if behavior is occurring at the end of predetermined interval. a) Reported as percent of intervals. b) Does not require continuous observation. c) The nonobservational period is referred to as the “wait” component. d) The observational period is referred to as the “record” component.

Question 28

Planned Activity Check

Answer 28

Variation of momentary time sampling

Question 29

Permanent Product

Answer 29

Measure some artifact of the behavior, not the behavior itself in time (e.g., self Injury trauma scale, written math responses). Determining Appropriate Use: Is real-time measurement needed? Moment to moment decisions required

Question 30

Advantages of Permanent Product Recording:

Answer 30

1. Practitioner free to do other tasks. 2. Possible measurement of otherwise inaccessible behavior. 3. More accurate, complete, continuous. 4. Easier data collection (IOA, treatment integrity). 5. Measurement of complex behavior

Question 31

Disadvantages of Permanent Product Recording

Answer 31

1. Each occurrence must produce same product. 2. Product can only be produced by target behavior

Question 32

Event Recording

Answer 32

measurement procedure for obtaining a tally or count of the number of times a behavior occurs.

Question 33

Event Recording – Advantages

Answer 33

1. multiple topographies can be recorded. 2. easy if limited # of events. 3. unambiguous estimate of how often behavior occurs. 4. makes it possible to calculate percent opportunities or rate. 5. Can be used to record multiple topographies of behavior and stimuli as discrete events

Question 34

Event Recording – Disadvantages:

Answer 34

1. Requires continuous observation. 2. Confounds duration with frequency for events that vary in length. 3. Bx should not happen at high rates. 4. Bx should not occur for long duration

Question 35

Observational reactivity

Answer 35

How people change their behavior when novel observers are introduced. (allow time)

Question 36

Observer drift

Answer 36

During the course of an experiment the definitions being used by observers implicitly or explicitly change. (retraining required)

Question 37

Artifact

Answer 37

Something that appears to exist because of the way it is examined or measured