Representativeness of direct observations selected using a work‐sampling equation

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Deciding on appropriate sampling to obtain representative samples of behavior is important but not straightforward, because the relative duration of the target behavior may affect its observation in a given sampling interval. Work‐sampling methods, which offer a way to adjust the frequency of sampling according to a priori or ongoing estimates of the behavior to achieve a preselected level of representativeness, may provide a solution. Full‐week observations of 7 behaviors were conducted for 3 students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. Work‐sampling methods were used to select momentary time samples from the full time‐of‐interest, which produced representative samples. However, work sampling required impractically high numbers of time samples to obtain representative samples. More practical momentary time samples produced less representative samples, particularly for low‐duration behaviors. The utility and limits of work‐sampling methods for applied behavior analysis are discussed.

This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit: