Current measurement in applied behavior analysis.

The analysis of behavior began with a form of data, rate of responding, which allowed for efficient study and for the description of the basic principles of behavior. Especially important were the facts that rate of responding was a direct reflection of fundamental properties of behavior, and that rate of responding was measured continuously within an experimental session. As behavior analysts moved from purely experimental to applied settings, discontinuous, time-based methods of measurement evolved, which neither directly reflect fundamental properties of behavior nor continuously record behavior within an experimental session. This paper offers a critical discussion of current measurement practices, and discusses factors possibly related to the use of discontinuous, time-based observing/recording procedures. A theoretical basis for observing/recording procedures is presented which emphasizes continuous measurement of response dimensions directly related to fundamental properties of behavior.