An Empirical Method for Determining an Appropriate Interval Length for Recording Behavior

Abstract

The study sought to examine the effects of varying interval length on the representation of data obtained using modified frequency time sampling. A 7-category scale was used to observe reliably the behavior of eight psychiatric inpatients. Using electronic real time recording equipment, it was possible to computer analyze the obtained data at varying interval lengths, the shortest interval being 1.0 seconds. It was found that increasing the interval length had little effect on the percentage of total duration recorded within each behavioral category, suggesting that this is a relatively stable measure of behavior. Percentage total events for each category was less stable with increasing interval lengths. The number of recorded events within each category tended to decrease, while their average durations tended to increase, as a function of increasing the interval length. The data suggest that the current practice of determining interval length in an arbitrary fashion, or on the basis of convention, should be abandoned. Rather, such a decision should be empirically determined for each particular observation scale and subject group. One method by which this might be achieved is presented. DESCRIPTORS: interval length, within-interval error, empirical method of determinationJohnson and Bolstad (1973) and Jones, Reid, and Patterson (1975) have suggested that the development of direct observational techniques may well be the single most important contribution of applied behavior analysis to the discipline of psychology. Certainly such techniques are widely used by behavioral scientists.Reviewing studies published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis between 1968, Kelly (1977 found that 76% employed direct observation procedures. Of the recording techniques used in those studies, 29% involved event recording, 20% interval recording, and 21 % time sampling. Each of these observation tactics seeks to record data that accurately represent the actual stream of behavior being obThe authors extend their thanks to all staff and patients who permitted this study to be undertaken.

Interval recording for duration events: a re‐evaluation

“…Second, the present study did not identify specific behavior dimensions that influenced the accuracy of interval methods (e.g., Sanson-Fisher, Poole, & Dunn, 1980). For example, data for Alice (Experiment 1) and Carl (Experiment 2) suggest that the accuracy of 10-s PIR may be influenced by either the temporal extent of each behavioral event or the IRTs.…”

Using direct observation to record the behaviour of long‐stay patients with dementia

“…As well as overcoming the disadvantages of the techniques outlined above, the equipment also allowed for direct transfer of the data to computer for analysis. Surprisingly, a later publication suggested that computer analysis should initially be used to determine the ideal interval length before going on to more conventional data analysis (Sanson-Fisher et al, 1980). Despite this advance the appropriate technology does not appear to have been readily available to researchers, and time-sampling and event-recording methods have continued as the first-line method.…”

Distress Tolerance as a Predictor of Early Treatment Dropout in a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility.

“…In the majority of studies reporting differences in race/ethnicity, the role of race/ethnicity in dropout is not a primary aim, making it unclear from the results that these differences were not confounded by age, employment levels, or education levels. Furthermore, having minority or majority status within a treatment program may be just as important of a factor as race/ethnicity itself (Brown, Joe, & Thompson, 1985, Sanson-Fisher, Poole, & Dunn, 1980. Thus, more controlled studies isolating age and race/ethnicity in treatment dropout studies and controlling for relevant variables such as education, employment, and minority status within treatment are needed.…”