A behavior’s frequency plays a key role in analysis and treatment. Explore the importance of frequency data in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and get advice from BCBAs on collecting, graphing, and analyzing it to improve patient outcomes.
In ABA data collection, “frequency” measures how often a behavior happens. It describes how many times the behavior occurs. Technically, frequency is a count and doesn’t include time, but many BCBAs convert frequency to rate data.
Frequency data is a fundamental metric in ABA. This straightforward metric gives a BCBA the foundational information they need to understand how the behavior fits into the child’s life.
The simplicity of frequency measurement makes it an essential tool for behavior analysts and caregivers alike. By understanding the frequency of behaviors, professionals can develop tailored behavior intervention strategies that lead to more positive outcomes for individuals with behavioral challenges.
Along with other key data, like duration and latency, frequency data is critical to ABA and can serve as the basis for ABA behavior intervention plans.
Count is a tally of observations, and rate considers the count over time. While textbooks define frequency as a count, behavior analysts almost always use it as a rate. Ongoing discussions continue among ABA experts on this terminology.
There is conflicting information within the ABA community about the term "frequency." Specifically, the textbook definition of the term conflicts with how BCBAs and ABA professionals use the words to describe their work.
To start, here are the technical textbook definitions of “count,” “rate,” and “frequency.”
Many BCBAs view frequency data as a default rate, which contradicts its definition as a count without a specific time interval. This confusion arises because BCBAs often use the term "frequency" when they only record the number of behavior observations during a session of fixed duration. So, in practice, technicians count observations without considering time. But, because they know the session length, they calculate the rate later.
As a result, frequency data is always continuous because the data collector takes data during the entire session. Interval recording, on the other hand, would divide the session into smaller observation periods.
Jester explains how the definition of frequency and its usage can be confusing.
"When we talk about frequency in behavior analysis, we're essentially referring to a simple count of a behavior,” says Jester. “However, it's important to note that in practice, we often utilize frequency data in sessions that have a consistent duration. This allows us to treat frequency as a rate in real-world applications. For example, if we observe Dan's behavior during a three-hour session, we can take the count (frequency) and effortlessly convert it into a rate by considering the three-hour session duration. Therefore, in this context, frequency serves as a rate by default.”
In this sense, frequency is a “rate by default” metric. Collecting frequency data in this way gives BCBAs and technicians the best of both worlds: It eliminates the need to track the observation time period and includes a time interval, making the data more meaningful.
For instance, if we know that John hit a student 10 times, understanding whether he did this within a 30-minute session or over a week significantly influences how we approach interventions and decisions. On the other hand, the simple count “John hit a student 10 times” is far less informative.
The ABA research community has acknowledged this issue, and various researchers have attempted to clarify the distinctions between “frequency,” “count,” and “rate." In the 2016 paper titled "On Terms: Frequency and Rate in Applied Behavior Analysis," the researchers explain that the definitions of these terms contradict how ABA professionals use them in real life. In the article published in The Behavior Analyst, the researchers note that even texts defining frequency as a simple count advise BCBAs to avoid using frequency data without a time.
However, other researchers prefer to adhere to the original textbook definitions. In the 2018 paper titled "On the Use of the Term 'Frequency' in Applied Behavior Analysis," published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the authors discuss the issues that arise when ABA technicians use "frequency" as a synonym for both "rate" and "count." They encourage behavior analysts to use frequency as a count, remaining faithful to textbook definitions.
Overall, the issue of defining frequency persists. This article uses the term “frequency” to describe how BCBA analysts collect and analyze frequency data. Specifically, frequency data counts behavior occurrences during a routine session with a fixed duration.
When we use the term “rate,” we refer to collecting frequency data when the technician must also record the observation length, because it’s not a standard session.
Utilize frequency measurements in ABA to track how often a child engages in a specific behavior. BCBAs collect them during routine ABA sessions that always are the same length of time. This helps understand behavior patterns over time and evaluate interventions.
Here are the types of behavior and settings that work best for frequency data.
Examples of frequency data in ABA include any time you count how often a specific behavior occurs. Frequency data helps measure both positive and negative behavior. For example, you can monitor the frequency of tantrums or polite hand-raising.
BCBAs use frequency to measure behavior across the four categories of behavior function. These include sensory behavior, escape-based behavior, attention-based behavior, and tangible-based behavior.
Here are examples of frequency data for each of the four functions of behavior, along with examples of data that people may mistake as frequency data.
Recording frequency data in ABA is straightforward. Some BCBAs tally the number of occurrences on a specific datasheet. Most BCBAs use electronic data recording where they push a button in the software to record the behavior.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to record frequency data in ABA.
Start collecting frequency data with our free ABA frequency data sheet. It includes sections for all the important data and makes recording frequency easy. Explore this free, printable template to get a feel for recording frequency data.
To graph frequency data, plot the frequency on the vertical (y) axis and the session dates on the x-axis. The graph shows how often the child engaged in the behavior over the dates you graphed.
Here are the basic steps to graphing ABA frequency by hand or with a standard program.
Alternatively, you can invest in electronic data collection software, which will automatically create graphs based on your data.
We graph ABA frequency for visual insight into behavior changes. Graphs display the pace of change and the impact of external factors. They also illustrate progress to the child, caregivers, and funders.
Visual analysis helps us analyze and communicate the meaning of frequency data. Here are the major reasons we graph ABA frequency:
Frequency recording has numerous benefits. It's versatile, easy to use in various settings, and yields clear, objective behavior data. Plus, you can easily graph frequency data and detect changes in behavior quickly.
Here's a summary of the advantages of recording frequency data:
Frequency recording has some drawbacks. It doesn’t capture the context of why a behavior occurs or provide information on how long the child engaged in the behavior. Also, frequency data only works for behaviors with a discrete beginning and end.
Here's a summary of the major limitations of frequency data.
Follow the established best practices to get the most out of frequency data. For example, clearly define the behavior and consistently use the same observation period. Also, consider collecting data electronically to reduce human error.
Frequency data is a centerpiece of ABA data collection. Ensure you’re getting the most out of this data by following these general best practices for data collection.
Electronic ABA data collection is the best way to collect and analyze frequency data. You can collect data with a simple button push. Then, most systems immediately store, save and graph the data instantly for easy analysis.
Traditionally, behavior analysts relied on manual methods to record the frequency of target behaviors, a process that could be time-consuming and error-prone. Today, most ABA practices have adopted practice management software to digitize all aspects of their ABA practices, including data collection.
When it comes to recording frequency data, electronic data collection holds significant advantages over pen-and-paper methods.
Here's how you can use electronic data collection to improve the frequency of data collection, tracking, and analysis:
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Behavior patterns are complex, and understanding and evaluating behavior data requires a tool that’s up for the job. Artemis ABA software offers comprehensive ABA data collection where you can conveniently record and analyze duration, latency, and frequency in a single platform. This software allows ABA therapists to effectively utilize the collected data to monitor client development and make well-informed treatment decisions.
Our practice management solution is adaptable and can be tailored to suit the specific requirements of your ABA practice, unlike other ABA software. Artemis ABA is a one-stop shop, with every aspect of practice management integrated under one centralized location. This streamlined approach facilitates easy access, analysis, and visualization of your data, ensuring a seamless experience for users.
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