Which type of recording is a running narrative of behavior, descriptive and not quantitative?

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

Answer: (A)

Descriptive, qualitative recording is about capturing the behavior as a running narrative—what happened, in what context, and in what order—without turning observations into numbers. It records the sequence of events, antecedents, and consequences in a continuous, story-like format, focusing on quality and detail rather than frequency or duration. This makes it ideal for understanding the context and flow around a behavior.

Interval recording, event recording, and ratings recording all introduce some level of measurement: interval recording notes whether the behavior occurred in each time slot, producing a proportion; event recording tallies each occurrence; ratings use scales to rate intensity or quality. Those approaches quantify aspects of behavior, whereas narrative recording remains purely descriptive.