CH 4 A&T
Chapter 4
See Figure 4-1.
What information goes along the abscissa?
What information goes along the ordinate?
==========================================================
How to label the ordinate.
Permanent Products
A) If time is constant (e.g., 30 minutes between start and end of math period) and
opportunities/items are constant (e.g., same number of math problems) – Report the
number of occurrences/items.
*Note: You will be reporting dichotomous (raw) data.
“S completed 7 story problems on day 1, 2, 3, etc.”
B) If time is constant (e.g., 30 minutes between start and end of math period) and
opportunities/items are not constant (e.g., number of problems varies) – Report
percentage of occurrences.
*Note: Percentage is sometimes described as relative data.
“S correctly completed 60% of story problems on day 1, 2, 3, etc.”
C) If time is not constant (e.g., some days the math period is shorter) and opportunities
are not constant (e.g., number of math problems varies) – Report rate of
occurrences/items.
“S completed .5, 1, 2 etc. story problems per minute, hour on day 1, 2, 3,
etc.”
*Note: Rate is sometimes described as relative data.
Event recording
A) If time is constant (e.g., two minute oral reading) and opportunities are constant (e.g.,
100-word passage each trial/day)– Report the number of occurrences.
“S read 89 words correctly in the passage on day 1, 2, 3, etc.”
B) If time is constant (e.g., two minute oral reading) and opportunities are not (e.g.,
some passages are longer than others) – Report percentage.
“S read 80% of the words correctly in the passage on day 1, 2, 3, etc.”
C) If time is not constant (e.g., one to two minute oral reading) and opportunities are
not constant (e.g., some passages are longer than others) – Report rate of
occurrences.
“S correctly read 60 words per minute (wpm).”
Interval recording & Time Sampling
A) If the number of intervals is the same each day (e.g., 5 minutes @ 10-second
intervals = 30 intervals) and student is in class during each interval (e.g., student is in
class for the entire 5 minute observation) – Report number of intervals that behavior
occurs.
“S was “on task” for 20 of 30 intervals on day 1, 2, etc.”
B) If number of intervals varies (e.g., some days I can only observe for 3 minutes @ 10-
687320413
1
CH 4 A&T
second intervals = 18 intervals) and student is in class during each of these different
recording sessions (e.g., student is in class for these variable amounts of time) –
Report percentage of intervals.
“S was “on task” for 40% of the observed intervals on day 1, 2, etc.”
Duration Recording
A) If observation periods are constant (e.g., each geometry class lasts 45 minutes) and
student is in class during the entire period (e.g., student is in class for the entire class
session) – Report the number of minutes and second.
“S was in her/his seat for 40 minutes and 32 seconds on day 1, 2, etc..”
B) If observation periods vary (e.g., observations are taken for different lengths of time
each day) and student is in class during each variable-length period (e.g., student is in
class for the period of observation) – Report percentages.
“S was “in seat” for 35 percent of the recording periods on day 1, 2, etc.”
Latency Recording (This is least used)
A) If observation periods are constant (e.g., each geometry class lasts 45 minutes) and
student is in class during the entire period (e.g., student is in class for the entire class
session) – Report the number of minutes and seconds prior to the behavior.
“S was in her/his seat for 40 minutes before having a tantrum.”
B) If observation periods vary (e.g., observations are begun at different times each day)
and student is in class during each variable-length period (e.g., student is in class for
the period of observation) – Report percentages.
“S was “in seat” for 35 percent of the recording periods before having a tantrum.”
2
CH 4 A&T
Computing rate
A) Rate of correct responding is computed by dividing the number of correct responses
by the time taken for responding:
# of events (e.g., correct responses)
____________________________
# of minutes (e.g., 30 minutes)
= # correct events per minute
B) Rate of error responding is computed by dividing the number of error responses by
the time taken for responding:
# of events (e.g., incorrect responses)
____________________________
# of minutes (e.g., 30 minutes)
= # incorrect events per minute
Bonus
Calculating rate for variable opportunities (e.g., number of Dolch words or addition
flashcards correctly read per minute).
# correct
--------------------- X 60 = # correct per minute
# seconds
3