1. Choose three recording methods and provide an example of each.
2. What questions do you have?
As far as recording behavior goes one should also pick the best way to get correct and sound data. Some of the many recording methods that researchers use is frequency record, duration record, and anecdotes. Frequency recording is understood as recording how often in a particular time period an event occurs (Cenni et al., 2020). To illustrate, a teacher in class may use frequency to track a student’s rate of mentioning their special skills based on how many hands their raise to answer questions during the session. This way of recording behavior event is the easiest and useful for those cases where visible behavior occurrence is clear.
On the other hand, duration recording presents a given period of time to allow the determination of behavior (Chari et al. , 2020). For example, in a therapeutic session of children who have autism spectrum disorder, a therapist may choose the duration recording to measure the duration for which self-stimulatory behaviors such as hand-flapping or body rocking are engaged in. This can be done by logging the time when these behaviors happen and making use of this information which would enable the monitoring of changes over time and the treatment effectiveness which aims to reduce them. The method helps to explore behaviors with time taking the role of the setting parameter.
Anecdotal records systematically record situations in which behaviors, antecedents, and consequences are reported in depth, offering insight into the context behind patterns of behaviors (Jiang et al., 2024). An example for that will be, when teachers use them to track the disruptive behavior in the class and its management. Even though it is less exact than quantitative ones, such as the use of frequency and duration of recording, anecdotal records assist in the planning of interventions by shedding new light on the behavioral contexts. Combining of recording strategies including frequency, duration as well as the anecdotal records help researchers to understand more the behavior aspects and spread intervention strategies.
References
Cenni, C., Casarrubea, M., Gunst, N., Vasey, P. L., Pellis, S. M., Wandia, I. N., & Leca, J. (2020). Inferring functional patterns of tool use behavior from the temporal structure of object play sequences in a non-human primate species. Physiology & Behavior, 222, 112938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112938
Chari, T., Griswold, S., Andrews, N., & Fagiolini, M. (2020). The stage of the Estrus cycle is critical for interpretation of female mouse social interaction behavior. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00113
Jiang, Y., Balaji, & Lyu, C. (2024). Cultivating initial trust in ghost kitchens: A mixed-methods investigation of antecedents and consequences. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 119, 103727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103727
1. Three recording methods commonly used in behavioral research are:
a. Event recording: In event recording, the researcher records each instance of a specific behavior or event. For example, a researcher studying how often children engage in aggressive behavior in a classroom setting might tally each instance of hitting, kicking, or yelling during a specific observation period.
b. Interval recording: Interval recording involves dividing the observation period into time intervals and recording whether the behavior occurs during each interval. For instance, a researcher studying how often students are on-task during a class might divide the class period into five-minute intervals and record whether each student is on-task or off-task at the end of each interval.
c. Time sampling: Time sampling involves observing the individual or group at predetermined time points and recording their behavior at that moment. For example, a researcher interested in studying the social interactions of a group of children on the playground might take snapshots of their behavior every five minutes, noting who they are talking to or playing with.
2. What questions do you have?
– How do behaviors develop and change over time?
– What are the underlying causes of specific behaviors, and how can they be modified or controlled?