BCBA Section C part 1

An operational definition is what

clear, concise and objective

Direct Measurements

observing and recording the behavior as it happens

continuous and discontinuous

Advantages of direct measurements

high accuracy, real time data, provides rich contextual data

Disadvantages of direct measures

requires observers presence, resource intensive, behavior can change due to being watched (reactivity)

Indirect measures

involves gathering information about behavior based on recollection, interviews or rating scales

Ex of indirect measures

Interviews, checklists, rating scales

advantages of indirect measures

easy to implement, requires less resources, can get information on private events

disadvantages of indirect measures

least objective, prone to bias, may not accurately reflect behaviors

Permeant Product

measuring the outcome or result of a behavior rather than observing it

Focuses on physical evidence

Advantages of permanent product

observer doesnt need to be present, convenient, reduces observer reactivity, allows for delayed measurement

disadvantage of permanent product

Doesnt provide information on the behavior process, cant account for who performed the behavior, can be ambiguous

When to use direct measures

most behaviors when accuracy and real time data are critical

When to use indirect measures

initial assessment, gathering preliminary information, behaviors that are private or infrequent, when observation is impossible

When to use permanent product

Behaviors that leave tangible outcomes, when observer presence is difficult, measuring academic work

Rate

frequency of the behavior divided by the length of time

When is count ok to use

When the observation time is always the same

When comparing the number of opportunities such as the number of correct answers out of 10 math problems

When to use latency

to assess compliance/ responsiveness

When to use IRT

when youre interested in the pacing of behaviors or the time between successful actions

discontinuous measure

record a sample of behavior

Ex of discontinuous measures

partial, whole interval recording and time sampling

Does partial interval over or underestimate behavior

Overestimate

What is partial interval recording used for

behavior reduction (for behaviors you want to decrease)

Discontinuous measures are good to use when?

high rate, continuous or multiple behaviors

What should you use first continuous or discontinuous?

continuous

select a procedure

create an operational definition

determine interval length

determine observation length

determine observation duration

design a data sheet

train observers

Designing Discontinuous measurement

Are non- response scored in partial interval recording?

Yes

Whole interval recording over or underestimated behavior

underestimate

when to use whole interval recording

when you want behaviors to increase

group behavior, low resources, frequent or sustained

when to use momentary time sampling

does momentary time sampling over or underestimate behavior?

It could do either

What does measurement efficiency mean

did we achieve the desired outcomes while making the most of the resources available

trials to criterion

the number of response opportunities or learning trials required to achieve a predetermined performance level

Measures the efficiency of instruction

Cost benefit analysis

systematic approach to determine if the costs and risks of an intervention is worth the benefits

Direct costs (cost-benefit analysis)

therapist salary, materials, time/ travel

Indirect costs (cost-benefit analysis)

Time spent with families, what could have been done instead

Direct benefits (cost-benefit analysis)

decrease in target behavior, gaining new skills, improved QOL

Indirect benefits (cost-benefit analysis)

increased independence, improved relationships

Training duration

total time an intervention took to achieve its goals

What procedure will get us to the goal in the fewest trials

trials to criterion

Accuracy

No mistakes in writing down the data

Reliability

would someone else get this data?

Are we measuring the same way every time

Validity

Does this actually capture what I care about?

Are we measuring what we intend to measure

Fidelity (treatment integrity)

Did the procedure run the correct way?

Fidelity is also known as

treatment integrity

Temporal Extent

How long a behavior lasts

Temporal Locus

The point in time a behavior occurs

Repeatability

A behavior has this ____ when it occurs repeatedly across time

how consistently a behavior is measured across time, observers and tools

Ex of Repeatability

Rate and count (often assessed with IOA)

Ex. of temporal locus

latency

IRT

Ex of temporal extent

duration

threats to validity

selecting the wrong measurement

poorly defined behaviors

observer reactivity

threats to reliability

vague definitions, poor training, environmental distractions

we must systematically choose the most ____ and ____ measurement procedure for a given ______ and specific ______

appropriate, effective, behavior and environment

ex of environmental constraints

observer availability, observer skill level, setting, resource availability

line graph is AKA

equal interval graph

in a line graph Y is ____ and X is _____

behavior, time

a line graph shows us changes over time

Bar Graphs

summarize discrete or categorical data and helpful for comparing across conditions or individuals

cumulative data graph

shows the total number of responses over time

cumulative data graphs only

go up or flat they never decrease or go down

bar graph is best for

totals across groups or a summary