What term describes the amount of fluctuation or "bounce" in data across trials or sessions within a phase?

The term that describes the amount of fluctuation or "bounce" in data across trials or sessions within a phase is referred to as variability. Variability indicates how much data points differ from each other and from the central tendency of the data, which can reflect stability or inconsistency in the behavior being measured. High variability suggests that the behavior does not consistently occur at the same level, while low variability indicates a more stable and predictable pattern. Understanding variability is essential for behavior analysts as it informs them about the effectiveness of interventions and helps in making data-driven decisions. Consistency, deviation, and magnitude each relate to different aspects of data analysis but do not specifically capture the concept of fluctuation across trials or sessions as accurately as variability does.