What defines the total extent of time a behavior occurs?

Duration is defined as the total extent of time a behavior occurs. It measures how long a specific behavior lasts from the start of the behavior until it stops. This measurement is particularly useful in behavioral analysis, as it provides insights into the length of time a behavior is exhibited, which can be crucial for understanding patterns of behavior, effectively planning interventions, and tracking the progress of individuals over time.

For example, if a child engages in shouting, measuring the duration allows practitioners to see not only how often shouting occurs but also how long each instance lasts. This can inform strategies to reduce or manage the behavior more effectively. In contrast, interresponse time measures the time between occurrences of a behavior, response time focuses on the time taken to respond to a stimulus, and frequency counts how many times a behavior occurs within a given time frame—all of which provide different types of information about behavior but do not capture the total time a behavior is actively happening.