Which data collection method most directly informs hypotheses about what maintains a behavior by documenting antecedents and consequences?

• A. Baseline recording
• B. Scatterplot analysis
• C. ABC data collection
• D. Preference assessment

Answer: (C)

Understanding what maintains a behavior comes from linking what happens before it with what happens after it. ABC data collection does exactly that by recording the antecedents, the behavior, and the consequences across many occurrences. This allows you to see patterns—for instance, if a demand (antecedent) consistently leads to a behavior that is followed by escape (consequence), you can hypothesize that escape is maintaining the behavior. If attention follows the behavior and the behavior increases, attention may be the maintaining factor; if access to a tangible follows, that may be the reinforcer driving the behavior.

Baseline recording tracks the level of behavior over time but doesn’t systematically tie specific antecedents and consequences to each instance, so it’s less informative for identifying maintaining variables. Scatterplot analysis shows when behavior occurs but not the exact triggering events and outcomes. Preference assessments identify potential reinforcers but don’t reveal the actual contingencies maintaining the behavior. By directly documenting the sequence of antecedents, behavior, and consequences, ABC data collection provides the clearest foundation for forming hypotheses about what keeps a behavior going.