Week 3 Measurement Flashcards
What are three characteristics of a good behavioral definition?
Objective – Can directly measure the behavior
Clear - The person can say it in their own words
Complete - The edges of the behavior are clearly defined
What are the two basic scoring methods?
Automated recording where a machine program determines whether a behavior occurred.
Observational recording where people determine whether a behavior occurred.
Define automated recording and provide five good examples.
Measuring a behavior using a machine. Use GPS to measure duration and distance of walks, Measure activity using a 3 axis accelerometer, Use store checkout computers to measure purchase of healthy foods, Gas or electric meters to measure energy consumption, odometer to measure how much
someone drivers.
What is the most common type of automated recording devices currently available?
The use of smart phones and watches to measure sleep, activity levels, and location over time.
What are some devices in the natural environment that can be used to measure
behavior?
Devices that measure energy use in homes and workplaces Universal product codes to categorize what type of foods people are purchasing Devices in a car that measure miles driven and various driving behaviors.
Define enduring product and provide five good examples.
Measure the product of a behavior. Number of vehicle parked in more than one space, weight of recycled material, number of people car pooling.
What is the best way to use frequency recording?
Record the time the behavior occurs
Describe discrete categorization/behavioral checklists. Why is this a popular
recording method?
Recording whether a behavior occurred or not when it‘s supposed to. It is easy to use and checklists are appropriate to measuring many behaviors.
Define momentary time sampling.
Record whether a behavior occurs at particular points in time such as every
minute. Only look at the specified time. Used to measure a behavior that
could happen any time.
Define partial interval time sampling.
Divide a session into short intervals of time. Score whether the behavior occurs at all during each of the short intervals. It need not occur for the entire interval.
What does a trend in the data mean?
A transition state or learning is occurring. Usually uncontrolled variable is active.
What are the three types of trends and what does each mean?
Descending means the person’s behavior is in transition perhaps the behavior is extinguishing, being punished or they are learning to engage in a competing behavior.
Ascending means the behavior is increasing, means the person is learning to engage in the behavior through positive or negative reinforcement or the motivating operation is stronger.
Level, the behavior is neither increasing or
decreasing.
What are the general rules about introducing a treatment when the baseline is
increasing or decreasing?
It is recommended that you do not introduce a treatment to increase a behavior that is showing an increasing trend, or to introduce a treatment to decrease a behavior showing a decreasing trend.
What is a level change?
A sudden change in the level of a stable baseline to a new stable level without any data points in between those two levels.
What are some possible explanations for a change in the level of the baseline?
a. Either a motivating operation has either increased or decreased.
b. A new rule governed behavior has emerged
c. Possible one trial or rapid learning has taken place.
