Define duration in data collection.

• A. The time from an instruction to the onset of the target response.
• B. The duration of a single instance of the target behavior.
• C. The time between two consecutive occurrences of the target behavior.
• D. The total amount of time the target behavior occurs across all occurrences.

Answer: (D)

Duration in data collection refers to the total amount of time the target behavior occurs across all occurrences within the recording period. It sums the length of every instance, so you’re capturing how long the behavior lasts in total, not just how many times it happens or how long one instance lasts.

For example, if a child yells for 4 seconds, then again for 3 seconds, and then for 5 seconds, the total duration is 12 seconds. This is different from the duration of a single instance, or the time between occurrences, or the time from instruction to the start of a response.