ABA Glossary

By Dana Meller, M.A., BCBA
Edited by Tyra Sellers, J.D., Ph.D., BCBA-D
ABA Glossary by Dana Meller, M.A., BCBA, edited by Tyra Sellers, J.D., Ph.D., BCBA-D

Data

The result of measuring a quantifiable aspect of behavior, used to assess and evaluate behavior and behavior analysis-based services.

5th Edition Task List

C-3  Measure occurrence (e.g., frequency, rate, percentage).

6th Edition TCO

C.2 Distinguish among direct, indirect, and product measures of behavior.

Related Content

  • Product measures
    A measurement of a target behavior taken by measuring the lasting environmental changes produced by that behavior, rather than counting actual occurrences of the behavior. (E.g., test scores, completed chores,…
  • ABA terms you need to know: indirect measures of behavior.Indirect measures of behavior
    A measurement of behavior that is not based on an actual observation of the behavior itself, but a secondhand account of the behavior’s occurrence (e.g., rating scales, permanent product, descriptive…
  • Direct measures of behavior
    A real-time measurement of a behavior as it is occurring, resulting in each instance of the observed behavior being recorded.
  • It’s all too easy to mix up continuous and discontinuous measurement procedures. Need some help discriminating between the two? Get clarity with help from PTB founder Dana Meller.Dana Do's: What's the Difference Between Continuous and Discontinuous Measurement?
    It’s all too easy to mix up continuous and discontinuous measurement procedures. Need some help discriminating between the two? Get clarity with help from PTB founder Dana Meller.
  • Rate
    A derived measure of behavior that involves calculating the number of occurrences of a given response within a given period of time (e.g., number of mands per hour). Answers the…
  • Percentage
    A derived measure of behavior that depicts the proportional quantity of the number of times the behavior occurred out of the total number of opportunities for that behavior to occur…
  • Occurrence data
    A measurement of behavior that represents its repeatability and countability.
  • Count
    A measurement that directly summarizes the number of occurrences of a given response/behavior. Answers the question: How many times did the behavior occur, or how many of something were produced?
  • Celeration
    A measure of the change (i.e., increase or decrease) in the rate of a behavior over a period of time. Answers the question: How did the rate of behavior change…
  • BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Winning Measurement System to Record Client Tolerance to LosingBreaking Down a BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Winning Measurement System to Record Client Tolerance to Losing
    Let's review and break down a BCBA® mock exam question about measurement techniques in ABA, specifically percentage of opportunity. PTB co-founder Dana Meller explains how to calculate the percentage of opportunities where the behavior is exhibited and why this method is superior to rate, count, and interval recording in certain situations. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section C-3: Measure occurrence (e.g., count, frequency, rate, percentage).
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