What does whole interval recording entail?

Whole interval recording is a method used in behavior analysis to observe the frequency of a behavior over a specified period. This technique specifically requires that the behavior occurs for the entire duration of the interval in order to be marked as having occurred. It is often used in settings where it is important to determine whether the behavior is consistently present throughout a designated timeframe, rather than merely occurring at any point within that time.

Choosing this method is beneficial for capturing instances of sustained behavior. For example, if a teacher is observing a child to see if they remain on task during a 10-second interval, the behavior of being on task must be continuously exhibited for the entire 10 seconds for that interval to be scored positively.

In contrast, other methods like momentary time sampling or partial interval recording capture behavior differently, focusing on behavior occurrence at specific moments or if it occurs at any point during the interval, respectively. Therefore, the definition chosen accurately describes the requirement of whole interval recording.