Which data collection method measures the duration of a behavior?

• A. Duration recording
• B. Event recording
• C. ABC data
• D. Interval recording

Answer: (A)

Measuring how long a behavior lasts is done with duration recording. This method involves timing each instance of the behavior from start to finish and recording the total time for each occurrence or the sum across the observation period. For example, if a student hands-raises for 45 seconds during a 10-minute observation, you log that duration and can compute average duration per occurrence or total duration over time. This focuses on the length of time the behavior is present, not just how often it happens.

This differs from event recording, which counts how many times the behavior occurs without tracking how long each instance lasts. Interval recording checks whether the behavior occurs at least once within each fixed time interval, providing a yes/no snapshot for each interval rather than exact duration. ABC data collects information about what happens before and after the behavior to help determine function, rather than measuring time length.