Equal-interval Graphs

AKA Arithmetic Charts, Add-Subtract Charts. Graphs in which the distance between any 2 consecutive points on both the X-axis & Y-axis is always the same. All intervals are the same size. Line graphs, Bar Graphs, Cumulative Records, and Scatter Plots.

Non-equal interval graphs

Logarithmic scales. Including semi-logarithmic scales (standard celeration chart). Look at behavior change through proportionate or relative change.

Line graphs

AKA Frequency Polygons. Most common graphs in ABA. Based on cartesian plane. Use when you want data to effectively communicate that the data can be scaled along some dimension such a time or order of responses in a sequence.

Cartesian plane

2 dimensional area formed by 2 perpendicular lines that interject.

7 parts of a line graph

Horizontal axis (X-axis or Abscissa), Vertical axis (Y-axis or Ordinate), Condition change lines, Condition labels, Data points, Data path, and Figure caption

Line graph variations

2 or more dimensions of the same behavior, 2 or more different behaviors, measure of the same behavior under different conditions, and same behavior of 2 or more participants

Bar graphs

AKA Histograms. Based on the cartesian plane. No distinct data points representing successive response measures through time. Use when displaying separate sets of data that are not related to one another and summarizing performance within a condition or a group of individuals.

Cumulative records

Developed by Skinner to record data in EAB during 1957. Used device called Cumulative Recorder that displays cumulative data. Enables subject to draw their own graph. Keep adding on responses during each observation period to the total number of all previously recorded responses.

2 types of cumulative record

Overall response rate & Local response rate

Overall response rate cumulative record

An average rate of response over a given time period, such as during a specific session or phase in a study.

Local response rate cumulative record

Rate of response during periods of time smaller than that for which an overall response rate has been given.

Semilogarithmic charts

AKA Ratio Chart, Multiply-Divide Chart. Logarithmic scales look at behavior change through proportional or relative change. Graphs in which one axis is scaled proportionally. All behavior changes of equal proportion are shown by equal vertical distances on the vertical axis.

Standard celeration chart

A type of semilogarithmic chart. Created by Ogden Lindsley. Used in Precision Teaching. Academic and social behaviors are charted. To provide a standardized means of charting & analyzing how frequency of behavior changes over time. Student self-monitor their progress by recording data that makes a graph that displays the number of items they performed correctly & the number of errors they made within fixed periods of time distributed across the day or week. The goal is to increase the number of correct answers & decrease the number wrong within the set time.

Rate of responding

Really important because research shows that the more rapid & fluent the rate of correct responding, the more durable the learning.

Scatter plots

Shows relative distribution of individual measures in a data set. Data points are unconnected. Depicts changes in value on one axis correlated with changes in value on the other axis. Used to discover the temporal distribution (time) of the behavior. The grouping of the individual data points may help to identify elusive environmental stimuli.