RBT Exam Revision Course: Measurement
A-01 Describe How to Prepare for Data Collection
A-02 Continuous Measurement Procedures
A-03 Discontinuous Measurement Procedures
A-04 Permanent Product Recording
A-05 Enter Data and Update Graphs
A-01 Describe How to Prepare for Data Collection
Preparing for data collection is a crucial aspect of the measurement section of the RBT exam. You should know that before each session, it is essential to have all the necessary materials ready, such as a tablet or phone for data collection, data sheets, flashcards, and any other devices needed for taking data, such as counters or timers. Additionally, it is important to know which behaviors to target during the session by looking at the relevant sections of challenging behavior plans and skill acquisition intervention plans. Reviewing the data from recent sessions will enable you to identify if you should prioritize a particular intervention (e.g. because another RBT was unable to run it during a previous session) and it should also help you to avoid running interventions that have met the criteria to be stopped.
A-02 Continuous Measurement Procedures
Continuous measurement procedures are another important aspect of the measurement section of the RBT exam. These procedures involve recording every instance of a behavior. Techniques include count/frequency/rate, duration, latency, and inter-response time. It is crucial to understand the definition of these terms, but also to know which type of measurement is best for each behavior. For example, frequency or count is best for behaviors that are short and have clear beginning and end points, such as clapping or jumping. Rate is a more advanced measure that records how often a behavior occurs over a specific period of time.
A-03 Discontinuous Measurement Procedures
In addition to continuous measurement procedures, there are also discontinuous measurement methods. These include whole interval recording, partial interval recording, and momentary time sampling. Whole interval recording is a method of measuring behavior where the observer records whether or not a behavior occurred during an entire interval. Partial interval recording is similar, but the observer records whether or not the behavior occurred during any portion of the interval. Momentary time sampling involves taking a sample of the behavior at specific time intervals, rather than observing the behavior continuously.
A-04 Permanent Product Recording
Permanent product recording is a method of measuring behavior where the observer records the physical products of the behavior, such as drawings or writing, rather than observing the behavior itself.
A-05 Enter Data and Update Graphs
The most commonly used graphs in ABA are Line Graphs. On a Line Graph, the x-axis (horizontal) is used to indicate time, and the y-axis (vertical) is used to indicate the behavior of interest (e.g. hitting, percent correct, number of learning opportunities).
As an RBT, you should know that it is important that each axis has a label (e.g. date, session, hitting, or percentage correct) and the graph should have a title. Graphs should usually also have some indicator of the client to whom it belongs (e.g. the client’s name or initials). When entering data at the end of a session, you will usually record the relevant variable on the relevant date using a data point. The data point is the dot that you write on the graph. Data points are normally connected by a data path (i.e. the data path is the line that connects two data points). Changes to interventions (e.g. moving from baseline to intervention or changing the target behavior) are usually recorded using a phase-change line (a broken line). You do not connect data points on either side of a phase change line.
Measurement Key Terms
Count/Frequency/Rate:
Count is a tally of the number of times a behavior occurred. Rate requires dividing the count by a unit of time. For example, per minute, per hour, per day, per week or per month. The term frequency can be used to refer to either count or rate, however, it is most often used to refer to rate.
Duration
Duration is the length of time a single instance of a target behavior occurs.
Latency
Latency recording measures the amount of time that lapses between an antecedent and when someone begins to perform a target behavior
Inter-response time
Interresponse time (IRT) is the measure of time that occurs between two consecutive responses.
Whole interval recording
Whole Interval Recording is used in order to identify whether a behavior occurs during intervals. The behavior is recorded as occurring only if it occurred for the entire length of the interval.
Partial interval recording
Partial Interval Recording is a data collection method used to record how many times a continuous behavior occurs across a set number of consecutive intervals. If the behavior occurs at any point during the interval, the interval is marked as the behavior has occurred.
Momentary Time Sampling
Momentary Time Sampling is a measurement method in which you record the presence or absence of a behavior at precisely specified time intervals. It is less accurate than other methods such as whole interval recording and partial interval recording, but has one major advantage. it does not require you to observe the client’s behavior for the vast majority of session time.
Permanent Product Recording
Permanent Product data recording is used when there is physical evidence of a target behavior having occurred and focuses on the behavior’s impact on the environment. To use permanent product recording, the behavior of interest needs to have some concrete and permanent (or semi-permanent) impact on the learner’s environment. That impact needs to be observable.
Data Point
A data point on a graph represents a value of thing behaviour you are measuring.
Data Path
A data path is a line that connects two data points. Data paths can be used to visually analyze data.
X-Axis
The horizontal axis of a graph is known as the x-axis. When you look at the x-axis, you are usually looking at something that represents time. This is most commonly the date on which data was collected but can also sometimes be used to label successive sessions.
Y-Axis
The vertical axis of a graph is known as the y-axis. When you look at the y-axis, you are usually looking at something that represents a measure of a behavior (e.g. frequency, duration of the percentage of intervals in which a behavior occurred).
Graph Labels
The x-axis and the y-axis on a graph should be labeled. The graph itself should also have a title Where a graph depicts different phases (e.g. baseline and intervention)
Phase Change Line
A phase change line is a broken vertical line transposed on a graph to indicate when the data are collected during different conditions or phases. For example, a phase change line would appear on a graph between the baseline and treatment (intervention) phase or when an intervention is altered. When using graphs as part of skills teaching interventions, a phase change line might be introduced to indicate that a new target or prompting procedure was being used.