· David Cruz · ABA Best Practices · 6 min read
How to Choose the Right ABA Recording Method
Learn when to use frequency, duration, latency, percent correct, partial interval, or whole interval recording for any behavior.
Key Takeaways
Choosing the right ABA recording method depends on the behavior’s characteristics and your clinical goal. Use Frequency for countable behaviors with clear starts and ends, Duration for behaviors where length matters (like tantrums), and Latency for response time. For high-rate or continuous behaviors, use Partial Interval for behavior reduction goals and Whole Interval for behavior increase goals. Use Percent Correct for structured, trial-based teaching like DTT.
Every clinical decision in Applied Behavior Analysis depends on accurate data. But before you can collect accurate data, you need to choose the right recording method.
This guide covers the six core recording methods and when to use each one, aligned with Cooper, Heron & Heward’s Applied Behavior Analysis and BACB measurement standards. Whether you’re a BCBA designing a treatment plan, an RBT preparing for a session, or a graduate student studying for the BCBA exam, you’ll learn to make confident decisions about data collection.
Quick Reference
| Method | Measures | Best For | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Count of occurrences | Hitting, requests, elopement | Must be discrete and countable |
| Duration | How long it lasts | Tantrums, attention, independent play | Requires clear start/stop |
| Latency | Time to respond | Compliance, transitions | Needs defined antecedent |
| Percent Correct | Accuracy ratio | DTT, skill acquisition | Requires structured trials |
| Partial Interval | Occurred at all? | Stereotypy, high-rate SIB | Overestimates; use for reduction |
| Whole Interval | Occurred throughout? | On-task, engagement | Underestimates; use for increase |
The Six Core Recording Methods
1. Frequency Recording
What it measures: The number of times a behavior occurs
Best for: Hitting, kicking, requests, elopement attempts, hand raises, greetings
Requirements: The behavior must have a clear beginning and end and happen at a countable rate (not continuous).
Example: During a 30-minute session, you count 8 instances of hand-flapping. Your data point is “8 occurrences” or “0.27 per minute” if calculating rate.
Rate vs. count: Report raw count when session lengths are consistent. Report rate (count ÷ time) when sessions vary in length. For example, 8 occurrences in 30 minutes (0.27/min) is directly comparable to 12 occurrences in 60 minutes (0.20/min). Rate enables accurate visual analysis across variable session durations.
Key distinction from Percent Correct: Frequency counts occurrences in natural environments without defined trials. If you have structured teaching with discrete opportunities, use percent correct instead.
2. Duration Recording
What it measures: How long a behavior lasts
Best for: Tantrums, sustained attention, independent play, time in designated area
Requirements: The behavior must have a clear beginning and end, and length is the relevant dimension.
Example: A student has a tantrum lasting 4 minutes 23 seconds, then another lasting 2 minutes 10 seconds. Total duration: 6 minutes 33 seconds.
Key distinction from Whole Interval: Duration measures exact time. If you need precise measurement, use duration. If estimating sustained behavior through sampling, use whole interval.
3. Latency Recording
What it measures: Time between an instruction and the response
Best for: Following directions, transitions, response to name, compliance
Requirements: There must be a clear antecedent (usually an instruction) and a clear response onset.
Example: You say “Touch nose.” The student responds 3.2 seconds later. That’s your latency data point.
Why it matters: A student responding correctly 100% of the time with 45-second latencies needs different intervention than one responding in 2 seconds. Latency measures fluency.
4. Percent Correct
What it measures: Ratio of correct to incorrect responses during structured teaching
Best for: Discrete Trial Training (DTT), skill acquisition, receptive identification, expressive labeling
Requirements: You must have defined trials with clear correct/incorrect criteria. You need a denominator.
Example: During color identification, you present 10 trials. Student correctly identifies 7 colors. Your data: 70% correct (7/10).
Critical distinction: “Asked for help 5 times” is frequency. “Correctly asked for help in 5 of 8 opportunities” is percent correct. You can’t calculate accuracy without knowing total opportunities.
5. Partial Interval Recording
What it measures: Whether behavior occurred at any point during an interval
Best for: High-frequency behaviors hard to count, such as stereotypy, scripting, off-task behavior, and high-rate SIB
How it works: Divide observation into equal intervals. Mark “yes” if behavior occurred at any point, “no” if it never occurred.
Example: You observe for 5 minutes using 15-second intervals (20 total). Mark “yes” for any interval where hand-flapping occurred. Result: 14/20 intervals = 70%.
CRITICAL WARNING: Partial interval overestimates behavior. A 1-second occurrence scores the same as 15 seconds of behavior.
When to use it: Behaviors you want to decrease. It’s conservative for reduction. If data shows decrease, you’re confident behavior actually decreased.
6. Whole Interval Recording
What it measures: Whether behavior occurred continuously throughout an entire interval
Best for: On-task behavior, sustained engagement, appropriate play, attending to instructor
How it works: Mark “yes” only if behavior occurred for the entire interval. Any gap = “no.”
Example: You observe for 5 minutes using 15-second intervals. Student was on-task the entire 15 seconds in 12 of 20 intervals. Result: 60%.
CRITICAL WARNING: Whole interval underestimates behavior. A student on-task for 14.9 of 15 seconds scores “no.”
When to use it: Behaviors you want to increase. It’s conservative for improvement. If data shows increase, you’re confident behavior actually improved. See our complete whole interval guide for implementation details.
How TallyFlex simplifies interval recording: Traditional interval recording requires manually marking each interval while watching a timer. TallyFlex automates this. For whole interval, you only tap when behavior stops, and the app handles the rest. For partial interval, tap when behavior occurs. See our interval recording documentation for details.
Practical Examples
Example 1: Tantrum Behavior
Behavior: Student cries, screams, and throws materials when presented with demands.
Analysis:
- Structured teaching? No
- What dimension matters? Length is more clinically relevant than count
Answer: Duration. Track how long each tantrum lasts. This measures whether interventions reduce tantrum duration, even if frequency stays the same initially.
Example 2: Vocal Stereotypy
Behavior: Student engages in high-rate scripting throughout the day.
Analysis:
- Easy to count? No, occurs almost continuously
- Goal? Reduction
Answer: Partial Interval. Use 15-second intervals. Mark any interval where scripting occurred. You accept overestimation because you’re conservative about improvement.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These errors undermine data validity.
1. Using Frequency for Non-Discrete Behaviors
Mistake: Trying to count stereotypy that occurs almost continuously
Solution: Use partial interval recording instead
2. Using Percent Correct Without Trials
Mistake: Recording “80% correct” when you didn’t structure discrete trials
Solution: Either structure trials or track frequency in natural environment
3. Using Wrong Interval Type
Mistake: Using whole interval for behavior you want to decrease
Why it’s wrong: Whole interval underestimates, making reductions look more dramatic than reality
Solution: Use partial interval for behavior reduction
4. Mixing Methods Mid-Program
Mistake: Starting with frequency, switching to partial interval halfway through
Solution: Choose one method and stick with it. You can’t compare across methods.
Implementing Your Choice
Equipment
Traditional: Tally counters, stopwatches, interval timers, paper data sheets
Modern: Apps like TallyFlex combine all methods in one interface with automatic timestamps, offline capability, and real-time collaboration.
Training Your Team
- Define the behavior operationally. Everyone must measure the same thing.
- Practice together. Watch videos, collect simultaneously, compare.
- Calculate IOA regularly. Inter-observer agreement confirms reliability.
- Review data patterns. Teach interpretation, not just collection.
What’s Next?
- Try the interactive tool: Recording Method Finder walks you through the decision tree for your specific behavior
- See it in action: TallyFlex documentation shows screenshots and workflows
- Start collecting better data: Try TallyFlex free. All six recording methods in one intuitive interface.
The right recording method is the foundation. The right tool helps your team collect it consistently.
