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 organisms engage in, which can be observed, measured, and analyzed. It encompasses all interactions an organism has with its environment, inc... More 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 number of times a specific behavior occurs during a given observation period. This is a basic measurement that tracks how often a behavior h... More 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 “−.”