Which data collection method measures how long a behavior lasts from start to finish?

• A. Latency
• B. Rate
• C. Duration
• D. Inter-response time

Answer: (C)

Duration is the measurement that captures how long a behavior lasts from its start to its finish. It records the total time the behavior is in effect for a single occurrence, typically using a timer to start when the behavior begins and stop when it ends. For example, if a child taps a pencil for 5 seconds, the duration is 5 seconds.

This differs from latency, which measures the time from a cue or instruction to the beginning of the behavior; rate, which counts how many times the behavior occurs in a given period; and inter-response time, which measures the time between successive occurrences of the behavior. So when you want to know the actual length of each instance, duration is the best data collection method.