Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Practice Test

In which situation would it be appropriate to measure duration?

1. Ethan leaving his work station

2. Sally dropping items

3. Jim's response time

4. Maria writing essays

The correct answer is: Ethan leaving his work station

Measuring duration is appropriate when the behavior of interest is one that has a clear beginning and ending point, allowing practitioners to track how long the behavior persists. In the scenario of Ethan leaving his work station, it is important to determine how long he stays engaged before leaving, as this can provide insight into his attention, task focus, or possible avoidance behaviors. Duration is not as relevant for assessing behaviors without a defined period, such as random occurrences or those involving time-sensitive responsibilities, like response times or actions completed quickly, such as writing essays. In these cases, other measurements such as frequency or latency might be more suitable, as they give clearer insights into the nature and effectiveness of those actions.