Which metric describes how long a behavior lasts?

Which metric describes how long a behavior lasts?

• A. Frequency
• B. Latency
• C. Duration
• D. Onset

Answer: (C)

Duration is the measure that captures how long a behavior lasts. It records the total time from when the behavior starts to when it ends within an observation period, directly answering the question of length. Other metrics serve different purposes: frequency counts how many times the behavior occurs, latency measures the delay from a cue to the start of the behavior, and onset refers to when the behavior begins. For example, if a dog barks multiple times in a minute, duration sums the total time spent barking, while frequency would count the barking bouts and latency would measure the time from the cue to the first bark. This makes duration the best choice for describing how long the behavior lasts.

Duration is the measure that captures how long a behavior lasts. It records the total time from when the behavior starts to when it ends within an observation period, directly answering the question of length. Other metrics serve different purposes: frequency counts how many times the behavior occurs, latency measures the delay from a cue to the start of the behavior, and onset refers to when the behavior begins. For example, if a dog barks multiple times in a minute, duration sums the total time spent barking, while frequency would count the barking bouts and latency would measure the time from the cue to the first bark. This makes duration the best choice for describing how long the behavior lasts.