#8 Recording Methods + Time Sampling + IOA

Common behavior measurement methods?

Event recording, timing, time sampling.

What is event recording?

Count every time the behavior occurs.

When is event recording best?

Clear start/end and behavior is not too fast or too long.

Examples of event recording tools?

Tally marks and clickers.

What are timing methods?

Duration, latency, IRT.

What is continuous measurement?

Recording/timing behavior continuously.

Examples of continuous measurement?

Event recording and timing.

What is time sampling?

Observing behavior during selected intervals.

What are the 3 time-sampling methods?

Partial, whole, momentary.

What is partial-interval recording?

Record behavior if it occurs at any point in the interval.

Example of partial-interval recording?

See how often Leo yells out in class. The observation is 2 minutes total, the interval is in 30-second per block (4 intervals). If Leo yells out at all during a 30-second block, mark (+). If he is quiet the entire 30 seconds, mark (-).

Best use for partial interval?

Brief, quick behaviors.

What bias does partial interval have?

Overestimates behavior, it marks an entire time block as "yes" even if the behavior happens for just one tiny second.

What happens with longer partial intervals?

More overestimation.

What is whole-interval recording?

Behavior must occur for the entire interval.

Example of whole-interval recording?

See how often Jordan is staying quiet working on a puzzle. The Observation is 5 minutes total. The interval is 1 minute per block (5 intervals). If she works on the puzzle for 50 seconds and looks away for 10 seconds, mark an O (did not happen the whole time). If she works on it continuously for a full 60 seconds, mark an X.

Best use for whole interval?

Longer-duration behaviors.

What bias does whole interval have?

Underestimates behavior, even if a student is on task 90% of the time, if they do not stay on task the entire time, data shows they did not perform at all and final score makes it look like behavior happened less.

What happens with longer whole intervals?

Brief breaks → more underestimation.

What is momentary time sampling?

Check whether behavior occurs at the end of the interval.

Example of momentary time sampling?

See if Max can look at his worksheet and write. Set a timer for 1 minute, you do not need to watch the student. The moment the timer goes off at minute, look up and check the student. If looking and writing, put + for that interval, If no, write a -. Repeat this process all the way through minute 10 (10 total intervals).

When is momentary time sampling useful?

Busy settings, long behaviors, or multiple behaviors.

What is measurement validity?

Whether the data represent what they are supposed to measure.

Direct vs. indirect: which is generally more valid?

Direct measurement.

What is accuracy?

How closely measurement matches the true value of the behavior.

What is reliability?

Consistency/trustworthiness of measurement, means measurements are consistent and repeatable over time or across different observers.

Does reliability guarantee accuracy?

No.

What is observer drift?

Observer scoring gradually changes from the original definition (person collecting data slowly changes their internal criteria for what counts as the target behavior).

What are observer expectations?

Expectations influence recording.

What is observer reactivity?

Being observed affects behavior or recording.

What is IOA?

Interobserver Agreement.

What does IOA measure?

How similarly two observers record the same behavior.

Interval IOA formula?

Agreements ÷ total opportunities × 100

Duration/latency/IRT IOA formula?

Shorter ÷ longer × 100

Main limitation of Momentary Time Sampling?

It can miss behavior occurring between observation moments.

Why can MTS misrepresent behavior?

It only records what is happening at the exact observation moment.