What does ABC data collection involve, and what is it used for?

• A. A method that records only the frequency of a target behavior.
• B. ABC data collection; used to identify relationships and test hypotheses about function.
• C. Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence; used to identify relationships and test hypotheses about function.
• D. A verbal interview to determine client preferences.

Answer: (C)

ABC data collection involves recording, for each instance of the target behavior, what happened before (antecedent), the behavior itself, and what happened after (consequence). By collecting these three elements across many occurrences, you can spot patterns: does the behavior tend to follow a specific cue or demand? does it typically lead to getting attention, escaping a task, or obtaining a tangible item? Those patterns help identify the function maintaining the behavior and allow you to test hypotheses about why it occurs, which in turn guides effective interventions.

Recording only frequency ignores the crucial context that links the behavior to its outcomes, so it isn’t sufficient. A verbal interview asks about preferences rather than observing real-time relationships, so it doesn’t provide the same functional insight.