What observational method involves noting the amount of time that a behavior occurs?

Duration recording is the observational method that focuses on measuring the total time a specific behavior occurs within a given period. This technique is particularly useful when assessing behaviors that may occur for varying lengths of time, as it captures the duration of each instance of the behavior rather than just how often it occurs. For example, if a therapist is interested in how long a client engages in a particular activity, using duration recording allows them to note the exact amount of time spent on that activity, which can provide insights into the intensity or engagement level of the individual.

In contrast, frequency count simply tallies how many times a behavior occurs without considering the length of each occurrence. Interval time-sampling involves observing whether a behavior occurs or not within predetermined time intervals, but it does not measure the duration of the behavior itself. Planned Activity Check (Pla-Check) resembles interval recording as it assesses the presence of a behavior during specific activities, but again does not measure the duration. Thus, duration recording is distinct because it specifically quantifies the length of time a behavior is manifested, making it appropriate for certain therapeutic goals and interventions.