GoalTallyQuick answer: Duration recording measures how long a behavior lasts. Note the start and stop time (or the length) of each episode; total duration is the sum of all episodes. To compare sessions of different lengths, use % of time = total duration ÷ time observed × 100. Three tantrums of 1:30, 2:00 and 0:45 during a 30-minute observation add up to 4 minutes 15 seconds, about 14% of the time.
When to use duration recording
- Behaviors that vary in how long they last: tantrums, crying, time out of seat, time on task.
- Goals about how long, not how often: “will remain seated for 10 minutes”.
- For very short behaviors, count them instead with a frequency data sheet.
- If you can't watch continuously, momentary time sampling gives an estimate of the proportion of time.
Duration, latency and inter-response time
| Measure | Time from… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | the start of the behavior to its end | A tantrum lasted 2 minutes. |
| Latency | the end of an instruction or cue to the start of the response | Started work 40 seconds after the instruction. |
| Inter-response time (IRT) | the end of one response to the start of the next | 5 minutes between requests for a break. |
How to record duration
- Define the start and the end, for example: a tantrum starts when crying begins and ends after 10 seconds of calm.
- Start timing with a stopwatch, or note the clock time, when an episode begins.
- Stop at the end and write the episode's length (m:ss) or its start and stop times in the next episode box.
- Total the row: number of episodes, total duration and minutes observed (and % of time, if you chose it).
- Graph total minutes or % of time. On screen, the Start/Stop button times each episode for you.
Latency recording
Choose Latency in the measurement type menu to get a latency sheet: one row per opportunity, with the time the instruction ended, the time the response began and the difference in seconds. The mean latency per session is what you graph, and the goal is usually to bring it down, for example starting work sooner after an instruction. On screen, tap Instruction given, then Response started, and the latency is recorded.
Frequently asked questions
Should I graph total duration or duration per episode?
Graph total duration (or % of time) when the goal is less time in the behavior overall. If the goal is shorter episodes, divide the total by the number of episodes, which the sheet also records.
How do I record episodes that run into each other?
Set an end rule in the definition, such as 10 seconds without the behavior. Anything before that counts as the same episode.
What observation length should I use?
Keep it the same each time if you can. If it varies, graph % of time instead of total minutes.
Is latency the same as response time?
In behavior analysis, latency is the time from the end of the instruction or cue to the start of the response, not how long the response takes.
More free graphs and data sheets
Last updated · Written by the MiniTools team.