RBT Exam 2021 study guide
Continuous Measurement Correct Answer: Measuring each and every instance of behavior within the
entire observation period.
What are the 5 types of continuous measurement? Correct Answer: Frequency, Rate, Duration, Inter
Rate Response (IRR), and Latency.
Frequency Correct Answer: A simple count of the instances of a behavior, represented by a tally.
Example; how many times did John hit another student? You would tally every time John hit another
student and present the count as a number. John hit another student five times.
Rate Correct Answer: A frequency count with a time element. This type of continuous measurement is
an important measurement when looking at behaviors which are frequent and short, like hitting, raising
hands, flapping hands, disrupting another student, yelling.
Example; if you are measuring how many times John hit another student, you would report this as John
hits at the rate of five times per hour.
Duration Correct Answer: How long a Behavior occurs. To take this type of data you start a stopwatch
when the behavior begins and end the stopwatch when the behavior stops. This data is often reported
as an average over time, and is for behaviors that are long lasting like tantrums, social play, how long it
takes a child to get dressed.
Inter Rate Response (IRT) Correct Answer: This is the observed time between responses. To take this
type of data you start the stopwatch when the behavior ends and stop the stopwatch when the
behavior begins again. This type of data is typically reported as an average.
Example; The time between doing math problems, the time between prosocial behaviors.
Latency Correct Answer: This is the time from prompt to the start of the behavior. To take this type of
data start the stopwatch when the prompt is given and stop the stopwatch when the behavior starts.
You might want to take this type of data when there is a delay between the prompts and when the
behavior occurs.
Example; The time from a prompt to get dressed to a person getting dressed, the time from the
instruction to begin a math problem to the response.
Discontinuous Measurement Correct Answer: These measurement procedures are classified as samples
of the target behavior, but they do not measure every instance of a behavior within the entire
observation period. These types of measurement procedures are used when it is too time-consuming to
take continuous measurement data.
, What are the 3 types of Discontinuous Measurement? Correct Answer: Partial interval, whole interval,
and momentary time sampling.
Partial Interval Correct Answer: A type of discontinuous measurement that records the presence or
absence of a behavior during a brief interval of time. Intervals are marked as positive if the target
behavior occurred at any time during the interval, and negative if the target behavior did not occur
during the entire interval.
Example; take an interval of 30 seconds and look for hand flapping behavior. You would mark a positive
if the hand flapping behavior occurred at any point during the 30 second intervals, and a negative if it
did not.
Whole interval Correct Answer: A discontinuous measurement procedure that records the presence or
absence of a behavior during the whole interval. Intervals are marked as a positive if the target behavior
occurred during the entire interval, and a negative if the target behavior stopped at any time during the
interval.
Example; if you are doing a 30 second intervals and measuring hand flapping behavior, you would mark
it positive if the hand flapping behavior occurred during the entire 30 seconds, or negative if the hand
flapping behavior stopped at any point in time during those 30 seconds.
Momentary Time Sampling Correct Answer: A discontinuous measurement procedure that records the
presence or absence of a behavior at the very end of an interval. Intervals are marked as a positive if the
target behavior occurred at the end of the interval, or a negative when the target behavior does not
occur at the end of the interval. This procedure is best to do for many clients at the same time.
Example; if a teacher is trying to measure task engagement for a group of students during a 30 second
interval, if the teacher looked up at the students at the 28 second mark she would mark a positive for
those students who are engaged in their tasks at that point in time and a negative for those students
who were not engaged in their task when she looked up. Regardless of if they were the entire time.
Permanent Product procedures Correct Answer: This type of recording is not recording behaviors, but
recording the products that the behavior produces.
Example; you could record how many questions a student answered on a worksheet by simply looking at
the worksheet after and counting the problems completed. Similarly, you could see a clean room as a
result of the child cleaning their room and you would record their behavior as a positive because the
end result is a clean room.
Provide examples of permanent product recordings? Correct Answer: 1) How many items were placed
on a shelf
2) how much homework was completed
3) how many bracelets were constructed
4) how many dishes were clean
5) how many scratches a person has.
*this is valid because these are all an after product of a behavior occurring.
Continuous Measurement Correct Answer: Measuring each and every instance of behavior within the
entire observation period.
What are the 5 types of continuous measurement? Correct Answer: Frequency, Rate, Duration, Inter
Rate Response (IRR), and Latency.
Frequency Correct Answer: A simple count of the instances of a behavior, represented by a tally.
Example; how many times did John hit another student? You would tally every time John hit another
student and present the count as a number. John hit another student five times.
Rate Correct Answer: A frequency count with a time element. This type of continuous measurement is
an important measurement when looking at behaviors which are frequent and short, like hitting, raising
hands, flapping hands, disrupting another student, yelling.
Example; if you are measuring how many times John hit another student, you would report this as John
hits at the rate of five times per hour.
Duration Correct Answer: How long a Behavior occurs. To take this type of data you start a stopwatch
when the behavior begins and end the stopwatch when the behavior stops. This data is often reported
as an average over time, and is for behaviors that are long lasting like tantrums, social play, how long it
takes a child to get dressed.
Inter Rate Response (IRT) Correct Answer: This is the observed time between responses. To take this
type of data you start the stopwatch when the behavior ends and stop the stopwatch when the
behavior begins again. This type of data is typically reported as an average.
Example; The time between doing math problems, the time between prosocial behaviors.
Latency Correct Answer: This is the time from prompt to the start of the behavior. To take this type of
data start the stopwatch when the prompt is given and stop the stopwatch when the behavior starts.
You might want to take this type of data when there is a delay between the prompts and when the
behavior occurs.
Example; The time from a prompt to get dressed to a person getting dressed, the time from the
instruction to begin a math problem to the response.
Discontinuous Measurement Correct Answer: These measurement procedures are classified as samples
of the target behavior, but they do not measure every instance of a behavior within the entire
observation period. These types of measurement procedures are used when it is too time-consuming to
take continuous measurement data.
, What are the 3 types of Discontinuous Measurement? Correct Answer: Partial interval, whole interval,
and momentary time sampling.
Partial Interval Correct Answer: A type of discontinuous measurement that records the presence or
absence of a behavior during a brief interval of time. Intervals are marked as positive if the target
behavior occurred at any time during the interval, and negative if the target behavior did not occur
during the entire interval.
Example; take an interval of 30 seconds and look for hand flapping behavior. You would mark a positive
if the hand flapping behavior occurred at any point during the 30 second intervals, and a negative if it
did not.
Whole interval Correct Answer: A discontinuous measurement procedure that records the presence or
absence of a behavior during the whole interval. Intervals are marked as a positive if the target behavior
occurred during the entire interval, and a negative if the target behavior stopped at any time during the
interval.
Example; if you are doing a 30 second intervals and measuring hand flapping behavior, you would mark
it positive if the hand flapping behavior occurred during the entire 30 seconds, or negative if the hand
flapping behavior stopped at any point in time during those 30 seconds.
Momentary Time Sampling Correct Answer: A discontinuous measurement procedure that records the
presence or absence of a behavior at the very end of an interval. Intervals are marked as a positive if the
target behavior occurred at the end of the interval, or a negative when the target behavior does not
occur at the end of the interval. This procedure is best to do for many clients at the same time.
Example; if a teacher is trying to measure task engagement for a group of students during a 30 second
interval, if the teacher looked up at the students at the 28 second mark she would mark a positive for
those students who are engaged in their tasks at that point in time and a negative for those students
who were not engaged in their task when she looked up. Regardless of if they were the entire time.
Permanent Product procedures Correct Answer: This type of recording is not recording behaviors, but
recording the products that the behavior produces.
Example; you could record how many questions a student answered on a worksheet by simply looking at
the worksheet after and counting the problems completed. Similarly, you could see a clean room as a
result of the child cleaning their room and you would record their behavior as a positive because the
end result is a clean room.
Provide examples of permanent product recordings? Correct Answer: 1) How many items were placed
on a shelf
2) how much homework was completed
3) how many bracelets were constructed
4) how many dishes were clean
5) how many scratches a person has.
*this is valid because these are all an after product of a behavior occurring.
