Partial Interval Recording is a time sampling method used to observe and record whether a target behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... occurs at any time during a pre-determined interval. If the behavior occurs at any point during the interval, the observer marks a “+”; if the behavior does not occur during the entire interval, the observer marks a “−.” This method tends to overestimate the frequencyIn Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), frequency refers to the ... of behavior but is useful when the goal is to reduce a behavior.
Example
A teacher is tracking how often a student leaves their seat during a 30-minute class period, using 5-minute intervals. The teacher observes the student for each 5-minute interval and marks a “+” if the student gets out of their seat at any point during that interval. If the student stays seated for the entire 5 minutes, the teacher marks a “−.”