STEU – ABA – 602Mini Methods Paper 1
Directions: Write a short methods paper that is based on replicating a study that you are
interested in. Write the replication as if you were doing it on a learner you work with / have
worked with and setting in which you are familiar. This exercise is to introduce you to the
beginnings of scientific writing. Please follow the length guidelines (2-3 pages) and write in APA
format. THIS WILL BE RECYCLED – this is a DRAFT! ☺
Set 1:1 Appointment
https://calendly.com/katie-baker-behavior-analyst/602-mini-methods
APA Citation: (Study you are replicating)
Research Question(s): Just write up the question or questions. No paragraph needed.
Participant(s): 1 paragraph
Setting: 1 paragraph
Design: 1 paragraph
Dependent Variable: 1 – 2 paragraphs depending number of variables / details of variables
Independent Variable: 1 – 2 paragraphs depending number of variables / details of variables
Procedure: 2 – 3 paragraphs
Data Collection: 1 paragraph
Activity
Behavior Assessment: Duration and Latency Recording
Est. Time: 25 Minutes
Objective
Gain experience collecting data using both duration recording and latency recording.
Overview
By collecting data, educators can determine whether a student’s behavior is problematic and
warrants intervention. Before they can do so, they must first operationally define the target
behavior, or the behavior to be changed. In an operational definition, a behavior is explicitly or
clearly defined such that it is measurable, can be identified by two or more observers, and can be
identified across time and in different settings or contexts. Once educators operationally define the
target behavior, they should choose a data collection system that provides the most accurate picture
of student performance in the classroom. Two such methods are duration and latency recording.
Duration recording documents how long a student engages in a specified behavior. This type of
data collection is appropriate for behaviors that have a distinct beginning and ending or for those
that occur at very high rates (e.g., tantrumming, being out of seat, not completing a task). To collect
data on the duration of a behavior:
1. Start the stopwatch when the behavior begins.
2. Stop the stopwatch when the behavior ends.
3. Record the length of time the behavior occurred.
4. Repeat the above steps until the end of the observation period.
5. Calculate the total duration by adding the duration of each episode during the observation
period.
Educators can report duration data in terms of the average duration per observation period (total
duration student is engaged in the behavior/number of observational periods) if the observation
period is consistent (e.g., 15 minutes). For example, the student is given five minutes at the end of a
class each day to work on his homework. The student works on his homework for a total of fifteen
minutes across five days. To calculate the average duration the student worked on his homework,
divide fifteen minutes by five days. The average durations is three minutes per day.
Educators may also report the percentage of time the student engaged in the behavior. If the
observation periods vary in length (e.g., the class has twenty minutes in the library the first week
of the month and fifteen minutes the second week of the month), the percentage of time the student
engaged in the behavior can be calculated by dividing the total minutes of the behavior’s duration
(e.g., 20 minutes) by the number of minutes in the observation period (e.g., 60 minutes) and
multiply by 100.
The contents of this resource were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, #H325E170001.
However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you
should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen .
iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu
081021
1
Activity
Behavior Assessment: Duration and Latency Recording
Tips for Implementation
• Because it is difficult to collect duration data while teaching, ask another individual (e.g.,
a teacher) to collect the data. However, if you decide to collect the data, have a stopwatch
with you at all times and keep the data sheet close by (e.g., on a clipboard, on a mailing label
taped to your shirt sleeve).
• When collecting this type of data, make sure the behavior definition specifies
the length of time that the behavior must occur in order to “count.” For example, a student is
considered off-task when his or her behavior lasts for longer than five (5) seconds.
Latency recording measures the amount of time that lapses between an antecedent (e.g., teacher’s
directive) and when the student begins to perform a specified behavior. This type of data collection
is appropriate for behaviors that follow a command or directive, or a distinct stimulus. For example,
the teacher might expect the student to be in his seat and ready for class within ten seconds of the
bell ringing. To collect data on latency:
1. Start the stopwatch when the antecedent is provided.
2. Stop the stopwatch when the behavior occurs.
3. Record the number of seconds or minutes that elapsed between the end of the antecedent and
the onset of the behavior.
4. Repeat the above steps until the end of the observation period.
Tips for Implementation
• Clearly define the target behavior so that you can accurately record instances in which the
student engages in the behavior. For example, if you are collecting data on a student who is
chronically tardy, start timing when the bell rings and stop timing when the student is
physically sitting in his desk. Alternately, you may stop timing when the student enters the
classroom. Defining these behaviors is crucial to maintain consistency in data collection efforts.
• As with duration data, latency data can be difficult to collect while teaching. To make it easier,
have a stopwatch and data sheet readily available.
2
Activity
Behavior Assessment: Duration and Latency Recording
Activity
1. View the video at http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/mcontent/duration-and-latency/. Use the
attached duration recording form to record instances of the student’s off-task behavior.
2. View the video again and use the attached latency recording form to record how long it takes
the student to begin a task after the teacher gives a prompt. Be sure to use the stopwatch
when recording your data.
3. Answer the following questions.
a. According to the duration data, what percentage of time was the student off task?
b. Do you think the percentage of time that the student was engaged in off-task behavior
is problematic? Explain.
c. According to the latency data, when the teacher gave the initial directive for the class
to begin working, how long was it before the student began the task?
d. After redirecting the student, how long was it before the student began the task?
e. Do you think the amount of time it took the student to begin the task after the teacher’s
initial directions is problematic? How about after being redirected? Explain.
3
Activity
Behavior Assessment: Duration and Latency Recording
Duration Recording Form
Student: Kailyn
Class/Teacher: Language/ Mrs. Oliver
Date: 1/01/xx
Observer: Mrs. Hand
Target/Problem Behavior: During independent math activities, Kailyn engages in
off-task behaviors, which refers to any behavior lasting 5 seconds or longer that
deviates from teacher instruction (e.g., looking around the room, playing with her
hands or objects).
Start Time
End Time
Duration
Total time observed:
Total time off-task (seconds):
Percentage of time off-task:
4
Activity
Behavior Assessment: Duration and Latency Recording
Latency Recording Form
Student: Kailyn
Class/Teacher: Language/ Mrs. Oliver
Date: 1/01/xx
Observer: Mrs. Hand
Target/Problem Behavior: During independent math activities, Kailyn will begin
working on her assignment within five seconds after a teacher provides a prompt
(e.g., directions, redirection).
Start Time
(Time of request)
Time
(behavior was initiated)
Latency
5
School of Graduate and Continuing Education
Applied Behavior Analysis
Research Methods (Experimental Design)
ABA 603 – Fall 2020 – Online
Research Summary Template
Name:
Date:
R.S. #: _________________
1) Provide the full bibliographical form for the article that you summarized. Use the correct
form, including double spacing, according to the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, 7th edition.
2) Provide a one paragraph abstract in your own words. The abstract should not exceed 200
words and it is double-spaced. Include the word count from your computer. The word count for
my abstract of the article is ______ words. Any portion of your summary that involves direct
quotes should be in quotation marks with the page citation per APA. Use past tense throughout
this section and all other relevant sections.
3) Fully define the behaviors that were studied and changed as a result of the experimental
intervention. Use operational and scientific terms. Give the behaviors not construct terms like
“on-task.”
4) How were the data collected and reported? Do not use the following as a checklist; rather,
describe in sentence form using these terms. Do use the appropriate terminology including but
not limited to: a) Event recordings: Reported in Percentages, Rate, Number, or Other; b)
Interval recording, Whole, Partial, Interval in seconds, Continuous, or Rotated/discontinuous
observe/record, or Other; c) Trials: Reported in Number, Rate, Percentages, or Other; d) Learn
Units or teacher behavior and responses to learn units: Reported in Number, Rate,
Percentages, this includes learn units even if not identified as such, because the paper
preceded identification of learn units or the writers were naïve to the usage of the term; e) Time
Sampling (after intervals of time, Intervals of time between observations; f) Other procedures
such as probe trials.
Check the following. The target was learning________ performance _____ both ______
5a) Interobserver agreement (Often referred to, erroneously, as reliability). a) Percentage or
number of sessions with interobserver agreements____, b) Mean % of agreement across all
sessions____, c) Range of % of agreement from the lowest_____ to highest ____, d) (If given)
Mean agreed intervals percentage____ Non Agreed Intervals____% (Describe in sentence form
do not use as check list.)
5b) Design was a _________ Describe design________. Was it or was not a true
experimental design? ________
6) List the tactic or tactics (the experimental intervention) and summarize how it was
done such that you could use the procedure.
7) How many participants were studied? _______. How were the participants labeled or
described (e.g., developmentally delayed, second graders, students, teachers)?
8) Briefly summarize the results (use trend, range, mean, variability, overlap, slope and level
when you have mastered the terms). Was a functional relation shown? Yes__ No___. Do not
use tables or copies of figures. Be brief but be thorough about the specific findings.
9) Comments, commendations, critique: you must include this. The term critique does
not mean that you necessarily need to be critical. What did you think was important, or
not, about the study? How can / could this relate to your practice?
Check for Understanding
Cooper, Heron & Heward – Chapter 3
Define the Below Terms
1. ABC recording:
2. Behavior Cusp:
3. Pivotal Behavior:
Give Examples of:
1. Indirect measures:
2. Direct measures:
What are the steps / levels for prioritizing target behaviors?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Good behavioral defintions are: ______________, _______________ and _________________.
Cooper, Heron & Heward – Chapter 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What are the benefits of measurement?
What are the measurable dimension of behavior?
What are measures based on repeatability?
What are measures based on temporal extent?
What are derivative measures?
Define Event Recording
What are the different types of time sampling?
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