Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, Eighth Edition ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers Chapter 3: Procedures for Collecting Data

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 Chapter Overview Rationale for Collecting Data Measurement Dimensions of Behavior Anecdotal Reports and Permanent Product Recording Observational Recording Systems Duration and Latency Recording Interobserver Reliability Factors that Affect Data Collection and Interobserver Agreement

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3 Rationale for Data Collection 1) Analyze the effects of an intervention 2) Allow for formative and summative evaluation of an intervention and adaptations of instruction based on individual data

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 Dimensions for Observation of Behavior Frequency – number of occurrences of a behavior Rate – frequency of a behavior during a period of time Duration – the amount of time an individual engages in a behavior Latency – length of time between the instructional cue and the occurrence of the behavior Topography – the physical form or description of a motor behavior Force – the intensity of the behavior Locus – description of where the behavior occurs, environment or location on an individual (White & Haring, 1980)

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5 Three General Categories of Systems for Collecting Data 1) Analyzing Written Records: Anecdotal Reports 2) Observing Tangible Products Permanent Product Recording 3) Observing a Sample of Behavior Event Recording Interval Recording Time Sampling Duration Recording Latency Recording

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 Anecdotal Reports A written description of events that occur during a a specific time period (e.g., lunch time) or an instructional period (e.g., math class) Target behavior is identified after recording anecdotal report Useful for analysis, not evaluation

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7 Guidelines for Anecdotal Reports Write down the setting as you initially see it, describe the individuals and their relationship, identify the occurring activity. Record everything the targeted student says and does and to whom or to what. Describe everything said and done to the student and by whom. Clearly differentiate between fact and your interpretation of what is being observed. Provide some temporal indications so as to be able to judge duration. (Wright, 1960)

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8 Permanent Product Recording Recording tangible items or environmental effects that result from a behavior (outcome recording) May include audiotape, videotape, digital recording systems, and written work samples May be used to collect data for the following behavioral dimensions: Rate Topography Force

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9 Observational Recording Systems Event Recording – recording the number of times a behavior occurs Interval Recording – recording of whether a behavior occurs during intervals of specified time period Time Sampling – recording of whether a behavior occurs at the end of an interval during a specified time period Duration Recording – recording the length of a time a behavior occurs Latency Recording – recording the amount of time it takes for a student to begin the targeted behavior.

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 10 Observation System as Related to Basic Behavioral Paradigm SRS Antecedent Stimulus Consequence StimulusResponse Event Recording Interval Recording Time Sampling Latency RecordingDuration Recording

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11 Event Recording Used with discrete behaviors Behaviors for which event recording is not appropriate: Behaviors that occur at a high frequency (e.g., number of steps taken during running) Behaviors for which one occurrence of the behavior can last for long periods of time (e.g., tantruming) Advantages of Event Recording: Accurate Easy to implement data collection system

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 12 Basic Data Sheet for Event Recording Student: _____________________ Observer: ____________________ Behavior: _____________________ DateTime Start: Stop: Notations of Occurrences Total Occurrences 3/15 3/16 10: :15 10:00 – 10:15 //// //// //// //// /// 23 //// //// //// /// 18

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 13 Event Recording with Controlled Presentations Open cereal box Lift box Pour cereal in bowl Place box on table Open milk carton Lift carton Pour milk in bowl Place carton on table Lift spoon Place spoon in bowl Scoop Lift spoon Bring spoon to mouth Place spoon in mouth

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 14 Interval Recording An observation period is divided into a number of short intervals. The observer counts the number of intervals when the behavior occurs. Continuous and high frequency behaviors Partial-interval recording – the behavior does not consume the entire interval Whole-interval recording – the behavior consumes the entire interval

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 15 Interval Recording Data Sheet Student: ___________________Behavior: ______________ Date: ______________________ Time Start: _________________Time End: _____________ Observer: __________________Setting: _______________ (Length of Intervals in Seconds)

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 16 Time Sampling An observational system in which an observation period is divided into equal intervals; target behavior is observed at the end of each interval. Usually intervals of minutes versus seconds Student observed only at the end of the interval

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 17 Time Sampling Data Sheet Student: ______________________Behavior: _________________ Date: _________________________Start Time: _______________ Observer: _____________________End Time: ________________ 10’ 20’ 30’ 40’ 50’ 60’ O = nonoccurrence X = occurrence xoxxox oxoxxo

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 18 Similarities and Differences between Time Sampling and Interval Recording Both provide an approximation of how often the behavior occurs. (Neither as accurate as event recording) Interval provides a closer approximation than time sampling to actual occurrence of behaviors because intervals in smaller units (e.g., seconds versus minutes) Interval recording for short observation periods, time sampling for longer observation periods Time sampling easier to manage while teaching because intervals divided into longer units of time During interval recording the behavior can be noted and recorded during any point during the interval. During time sampling occurrence of the behavior is observed and recorded only at the end of the interval. For both, number of intervals in which the behavior was observed is reported not the number of occurrences of the behavior.

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 19 Coding for Multiple Students 10’20’30’40’50’60’ Tony Al Ellen Austin Mary

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 20 Coding Form for Multiple Behaviors H = Hand Rolling F = Finger Flapping C = Finger Contortions V = High-Pitched Vocalizations H F C V

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21 Duration and Latency Data Collection Both emphasize measures of time rather than instances of behavior Duration: Average duration – used when the behavior occurs regularly. Teacher measures length of the time consumed in each occurrence and then finds the average duration for that day. Total duration – measures how long a student engages in a behavior during a limited time period

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22 Basic Formats for Latency and Duration Recording Data Sheets Student: _____________________ Observer: ____________________ Behavior: ____________________ Operationalization of behavior initiation: ____________________ ____________________________ Student: ___________________________ Observer: __________________________ Behavior: __________________________ Behavior initiation: __________________ Behavior termination: ________________ ___________________________________ Date Time LatencyDateTimeLatency Delivery Of Sd Response Imitation Response Imitation Response Termination

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 23 How Much and How Often Should I Collect Data? How Much? Trial-by-trial Probe How Much? New behavior program – every day or session until steady progress over six data points and then probe twice a week (Farlow and Snell, 1994)

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 24 Data Collection Decision-Making Process Behavior Concern related to a numerical dimension of the behavior Concern related to a temporal dimension of the behavior DiscreteDiscrete or Continuous Event Recording Occurring at a high frequency Occurring at a moderate frequency Interval Recording Time Sampling Prior to response initiation Time between response initiation and termination Duration Recording Latency Recording

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 25 How to Calculate Interobserver Reliability For Duration and Latency Shorter Number of Minutes X100 = Percent of Agreement Longer Number of Minutes For Interval Recording or Time Sampling Agreements_______ X 100 = Percent of Agreement Agreements + Disagreements

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 26 Factors that May Affect Data Collection and Interobserver Agreement Reactivity: Presence of an observer which can alter both student and teacher behavior Observer Drift: The tendency of observers to change the stringency with which they apply operational definitions Complexity: The more complex the system of data collection (including number of students and behaviors), the more difficult it is to maintain consistency. Expectancy: The expectancy of a behavior change or no behavior change can impact how one interprets student responses.(Kazdin, 1977)

Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 8 th Ed. Alberto & Troutman ISBN © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 27 Key Terms permanent product recordingtime sampling observational recording systemevent recording interval recordingduration recording latency recordingdiscrete behaviors frequencytrial controlled presentationreliability