Representativeness of direct observations selected using a work‐sampling equation
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Deciding on appropriate sampling to obtain representative samples of behavior is important but
not straightforward, because the relative duration of the target behavior may affect its observation in a given sampling interval.Work-sampling methods, which offer a way to adjust the frequency of sampling according to a priori or ongoing estimates of the behavior to achieve a preselected level of representativeness, may provide a solution. Full-week observations of 7 behaviors were conducted for 3 students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities.Work-sampling methods were used to select momentary time samples from the full time-of-interest, which produced representative samples. However, work sampling required impractically high numbers of time samples to obtain representative samples. More practical momentary time samples produced less representative samples, particularly for low-duration behaviors. The utility and limits of worksampling methods for applied behavior analysis are discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 153-166 |
Journal | Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 5 Mar 2015 |