Which recording type counts the number of times a behavior occurs during a specified period and is mainly a measure of frequency?

• A. Event recording
• B. Ratings Recording
• C. Narrative recording
• D. Interval recording

Answer: (A)

This question is about how to quantify how often a behavior happens. When you want a concrete count of each time a behavior occurs within a set period, you use event recording. It involves tallying every discrete occurrence as it happens, giving you a raw frequency (and you can turn that into a rate by dividing by the observation time). It’s particularly effective for clear, discrete behaviors with identifiable start and end points—like how many times a student raises a hand or taps a surface.

Other methods measure different things. Interval recording notes whether the behavior happened at least once during each fixed interval, which doesn’t provide an exact count of every occurrence. Ratings recording uses a subjective scale to rate intensity or quality rather than tallying frequency. Narrative recording provides descriptive notes about events without producing a precise frequency count.

So, counting the number of times a behavior occurs during a specified period is best captured by event recording.