Aba Whitebook Ch. 4

Front 1

artifact

Back 1

An outcome or result that appears to exist because of the way it is measured but in fact does not correspond to what actually occurred.

Front 2

Celeration

Back 2

The change (acceleration or deceleration) in rate of responding over time

Front 3

celeration time period

Back 3

a unit of time (e.g. per week, per month) in which celeration is plotted on a Standard Celeration Chart

Front 4

celeration trend line

Back 4

the celeration trend line is measured as a factor by which rate multiplies or divides across the celeration time periods (e.g. rate per week, rate per month, rate per year, and rate per decade)

Front 5

Count

Back 5

The number of responses emitted during an observation period

Front 6

discrete trial

Back 6

any operant whose response rate is controlled by a given opportunity to emit the response. Each discrete response occurs when an opportunity to respond exists. (discrete trial, restricted operant, controlled operant = synonymous)

Front 7

Duration

Back 7

The amount of time that a behavior occurs

Front 8

event recording

Back 8

measurement procedure for obtaining a tally or count of the number of times a behavior occurs

Front 9

free operant

Back 9

any operant behavior that results in minimal displacement of the participant in time and space. A free operant can be emitted at nearly any time; it is discrete, it requires minimal time for completion, and it can produce a wide range of response rates. (i.e. the number of hand slaps per 6 seconds)

Front 10

frequency

Back 10

a ratio of count per observation time; often expressed as count per standard unit of time and calculated by dividing the number or responses recorded by the number of standard units of time in which observations were conducted
(rate)

Front 11

Interresponse Time (IRT)

Back 11

The point in time when a response occurs with respect to the occurence of the previous response

Front 12

Magnitude

Back 12

the force or intensity with which a response is emitted

Front 13

Measurement

Back 13

The process of assigning numbers and units to particular features of objects or events...[It] involves attaching a number representing the observed extent of a dimensional quantity to an appropriate unit. The number and the unit together constitute the measure of the object or event

Front 14

measurement by permanent product

Back 14

a method of measuring behavior after it has occurred by recording the effects that the behavior produced on the environment

Front 15

momentary time sampling

Back 15

a measurement method in which the presence of absence of bheaviors are recorded at precisely specified time intervals

Front 16

partial-interval recording

Back 16

time sampling method for measureing behavior in which the observation period is divided into a series of brief time intervals (typically from 5-10 seconds) the observer records whehter the target behavior occurred at any time during the interval. Partial-interval is not concerned with how many times the behavior occurred during the interval or how long the behavior was present, just that it occurred at some point during the interval; tends to overestimate the proportion of the observation period that the behavior actually occurred

Front 17

Percentage

Back 17

A proportion, expressed as a number of parts per 100; typically expressed as a ratio of the number of responses of a certain type per total number of responses (or opportunities or intervals in which such a response could have occurred)

Front 18

planned activity check (PLACHECK)

Back 18

a variation of momentary time sampling in which the observer records whether each person in a group is engaged in the target behavior at specific points in time; provides a measure of 'group behavior'

Front 19

Rate

Back 19

A ratio of count per observation time; often expressed as count per standard unit of time (e.g., per minute, per hour, per day)

Front 20

Repeatability

Back 20

refers to the consistency of measurement, specifically, the extent to which repeated measurement of the same event yields the same values.

Front 21

response latency

Back 21

a measure of temoral locus; the elapsed time from the onset of a stimulus (e.g. task direction, cue) to the initiation of a response

Front 22

Temporal Extent

Back 22

Every instance of behavior occurs during some amount of time (i.e., the duration of behavior can be measured)

Front 23

Temporal Locus

Back 23

Every instance of behavior occurs at a certain point in time with respect to other events (i.e., when behavior occurs can be measured)

Front 24

time sampling

Back 24

a measurement of the presence or absence of behavior within specific time intervals. It is most useful with continuous and high-rate behaviors

Front 25

Topography

Back 25

The form or shape of behavior

Front 26

Trials to Criterion

Back 26

special form of event recording; a measure of the number of responses, instructional trials, or practice opportunities needed to reach a predetermined performance criterion

Front 27

whole-interval recording

Back 27

a time sampling method ofr measureing behavior in which the observation period is divided into a series of brief time intervals (typically from 5-15 seconds) at the end of each interval, the observer records whether the target behavior occurred throughout the entire interval; tends to underestimate the proportion of the observation period that many behaviors actually occurred