In behavior analysis, what is the term for the physical records left behind after a behavior that are used as an indirect measurement?

• A. Reinforcer
• B. Permanent Product
• C. Cumulative Record
• D. Recording

Answer: (B)

Permanent Product is the term for physical records left behind after a behavior that are used as an indirect measurement. This means you’re not counting the behavior as it happens; you infer that the behavior occurred based on the tangible outcome it produced, and you measure that outcome after the fact. It’s useful when the behavior itself is hard to observe directly or when the end result is stable and easily assessed—like a completed worksheet, a cleaned room, a painted picture, or assembled toys.

This approach is different from reinforcing a behavior (the consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior), from recording a cumulative count over time (a direct data method that tracks every instance as it occurs), or from simply recording data (the act of noting observations, not the artifact left by the behavior).