What does calculating percent duration involve?

Calculating percent duration involves evaluating the amount of time a specific behavior occurs in relation to the total observation period. This means that you measure how long the behavior is happening and then express that duration as a percentage of the overall time observed. This method is particularly useful in understanding how often a behavior takes up time within a certain context, which can provide insights into patterns of behavior over longer periods.

For example, if a child engages in a particular behavior for 30 minutes during an hour of observation, you would calculate the percent duration by dividing the duration of the behavior by the total observation time and then multiplying by 100. This gives a clear picture of the behavior's significance in the context of the overall activity.

Other options focus on different aspects of behavior measurement. For instance, the duration between responses measures the time it takes for one instance of behavior to occur after another and does not relate directly to the duration of the behavior itself. Similarly, frequency refers to the number of times a behavior occurs within a given timeframe, which does not provide information about the duration. Lastly, latency comparisons involve measuring the time taken for a response to occur after a given cue, which is distinct from duration as it does not reflect the length of time the behavior is actively