Reasons Why Counting Behavior
is Important
• It reduces the probability of teachers
introducing error into the behavior
management process.
• Direct and continuous counting reduces the
likelihood of either prematurely terminating
an effective intervention or unduly continuing
an ineffective intervention.
Intervention
Baseline
Cathy
Baseline
Peter
Intervention
Baseline
Roger
Intervention
Baseline
Nancy
Intervention
Baseline
Intervention
Cathy
Baseline
Peter
Baseline
Intervention
Roger
Intervention
Baseline
Nancy
Intervention
Reasons Why Counting
Behavior is Important
• To accurately evaluate the effectiveness of an
intervention, we need a precount.
• Counting helps in determining whether the
targeted behavior is actually the one causing the
problem.
• Obtaining a count of the target behavior will help
determine whether the problem is actually severe
enough to warrant intervention.
• Counting and recording behavior is a way to
validate our own success.
Performance
Standard
Discrepancy
Baseline
Intervention
Number
of Times
Child Says
"Please"
small discrepancy
Baseline
Number
of Times
Child Says
"Please"
Intervention
large discrepancy
Pinpointing a Target Behavior
To accurately count behavior, we first must
decide precisely what it is we are going to
observe. However, not all behaviors
represent an appropriate target for
assessment. There are four factors that are
critical for pinpointing appropriate
behaviors.
Stranger Test
• A stranger not familiar with
a student could take the
definition of a behavior
and accurately determine
its occurrence at a level
similar to that of the
teacher who has daily
contact with the student.
• This requires the behavior
to have an operational
definition and a movement
cycle.
So What Test
• Is there any evidence that
the student’s behavior is
harmful to his, or another
students, social, physical,
emotional, or academic
well-being?
• If the answer is “yes,” then
target the behavior for
intervention.
• If the answer is “no,” then
target another behavior.
Fair Pair
• If an inappropriate
behavior is targeted to
decrease, then a
topographically similar
incompatible behavior to
increase should also be
targeted.
• This practice reduces the
chance of symptom
substitution or behavior
covariation occurring.
Dead Man’s Test
• If a dead man can do
the target behavior,
then we do not have a
fair pair.
• If a dead man cannot
do the target behavior,
then we do have a fair
pair.
Techniques for Recording
Behavior
• Anecdotal (Continuous) Recording
• Direct Measurement of Permanent Products
• Frequency (Event) Recording
• Duration and Latency Recording
• Interval Recording
• Time Sampling
Student:
Clyde
Observer: Ms. Harrison
Behavior:
Raises hand over head
Date
Time
Start
Stop
10-7-97
11:10
11:25
10-8-97
11:10
11:25
Notations of
Occurrences
Total
Occurrences
7
12
Student: Saul
Observer: Mr. Case
Behavior: Tim e spent conve rsing with peers at recesses
Date
Time
Duration
Behavior Begins
Behavior Ends
4-23-9 6
9:45
10:02
17 minutes
4-24-9 6
9:53
10:00
7 minutes
4-25-9 6
9:51
10:04
13 minutes
Student: Chris
Observer: Ms. Satchell
Behavi or: Percentage of time Chris talks to child directly across aisle
Total Observ ation Time Equ als Five Minutes
10
seconds
10
seconds
10
seconds
10
seconds
10
seconds
10
seconds
1 minute
O
O
X
X
O
O
2 minutes
X
O
X
O
X
X
3 minutes
O
O
O
X
X
O
4 minutes
X
O
O
O
O
O
5 minutes
O
X
O
X
O
X
Percentage of Tim e Talking
X = Talking
O = Not Talking
40%
Calculating Interobserver Reliability
Permanent Product
agreements
agreements + disagreements
Frequency Recording
smaller number
larger number
Duration and Latency
Recording
Interval Recording and
Time-Sampling
X 100 = % of agreement
X 100 = % of agreement
shorter duration
longer duration
X 100 = % of agreement
agreement intervals
agreement + disagreement intervals
X 100 = % of agreement
10-second intervals
Obse rver One
Observer Two
X
O
X
O
O
X
X
O
O
X
O
X
X
X
O
O
X
O
X
X
O
X
O
X
O
O
O
X
O
O
X
O
X
O
X
X
O
X
X
O
O
X
O
O
X
O
X
X
O
O
X = st udent raised hand
0 = student did not raise hand