Representativeness of direct observations selected using a work‐sampling equation

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Electronic versions

DOI

  • R.A. Sharp
  • O.C. Mudford
  • D. Elliffe
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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)153-166
JournalJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Volume48
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Mar 2015
View graph of relations