In Applied Behavior Analysis, accurate data collection is the foundation of effective treatment. Every decision whether to adjust an intervention or celebrate progress, depends on how behaviors are measured. One important method used by therapists, teachers, and behavior technicians is Whole Interval Recording.
Unlike methods that count every single instance of behavior, whole interval recording focuses on how long a behavior lasts. It helps determine if the behavior stayed consistent throughout the whole-time interval, rather than just checking if it happened at any point.
In this article, we’ll explore what whole interval recording is, how it’s used in real practice, examples of when it’s most useful, and the key advantages and limitations to keep in mind.
What is Whole Interval Recording?
Whole interval recording is a data-collection method used in ABA therapy to measure behaviors that last over time. In this approach, an observer divides the observation period into equal intervals and only marks the behavior if it occurred throughout the entire interval.
In other words, for each time block the behavior must be present continuously from start to finish to be counted.
This makes whole-interval recording a discontinuous measure: it does not track every moment but only checks whether the behavior filled each whole interval.
This method is especially useful for tracking continuous or sustained behaviors. Because it requires the behavior to persist through each interval, whole-interval recording is well suited to measuring things like on-task engagement or sustained attention.
For example, a therapist might use whole-interval recording during a 15-minute math lesson (divided into three 5-minute intervals) and note if the student remained focused on the problems for the entire time in each interval.
If the child stays on task for all five minutes, that interval is marked “yes”; if the child looks away or loses focus at any point, the interval is marked “no”.
In this way, whole-interval recording gives a clear picture of how long a behavior lasts and how consistently it occurs.
Whole-interval data show not just whether a behavior happened, but whether it lasted the full interval. This provides useful information about how often and how long a behavior occurs.
ABA clinicians use it to identify patterns of continuous behavior. For instance, by recording whole-interval data over days or weeks, they can tell if a child’s attention span is increasing after an intervention.
Because each recorded interval reflects sustained behavior, practitioners can also estimate the percentage of time the behavior is happening.
Examples of Whole Interval Recording
Whole interval recording is commonly used for behaviors that should be ongoing. For example:
On-Task Behavior
A teacher may use whole-interval recording to check if a student stays engaged with classwork. The lesson is split into intervals (say, 1 minute each), and the student must be working on the assignment for the entire interval to count. If the student looks away even briefly, that interval is not marked.
Sustained Attention
Therapists often use whole intervals when monitoring focus during tasks. For instance, if a child is asked to read or solve problems for 10 minutes (split into several intervals), whole-interval recording would mark each interval only if the child paid attention the whole time. This ensures the data reflect truly continuous attention.
Play or Activity Engagement
In clinical settings, an ABA provider might record whether a child plays with a chosen toy continuously.
For example, one guide notes observing a child during three-minute intervals and checking if the child “plays with a specific toy uninterrupted for the entire three-minute interval.” This tells the therapist how consistently the child engages in the activity.
By focusing on full-interval occurrences, these examples show how whole-interval recording captures steady, ongoing behaviors (like completing a task or concentrating) rather than brief actions.
Advantages of Whole Interval Recording
Whole interval recording has both advantages and limitations. Key advantages include:
Captures Sustained Behavior
It only marks behaviors that last the whole interval, so it highlights truly continuous engagement. Practitioners get a full-picture view of how long a behavior persists in each interval.
Simple yes/no Data
Data collection is straightforward, where each interval is either “yes” (behavior happened throughout) or “no.” This simplicity can make recording quicker than counting every instance. Whole-interval methods “save time” and are useful in classrooms or group settings because they demand less constant monitoring than continuous recording.
Group and Classroom Use
Because observers only need to note intervals rather than every single behavior, whole-interval recording works well when a teacher or therapist must watch multiple students at once. It lets a practitioner efficiently gather data in real time.
Conservative Estimate for Positive Behaviors
When the goal is to increase a behavior (like on-task time), whole-interval recording provides a conservative (low-side) estimate. Only full-interval successes count, so it shows guaranteed engagement. This helps avoid overestimating progress.
Limitations of Whole Interval Recording
There are important limitations of whole interval recording, such as:
Underestimates Actual Frequency
Because the behavior must occur continuously, any brief interruption means the interval is marked negative. As a result, whole-interval recording systematically underreports the true occurrence of the behavior.
For example, if a child glances away or pauses briefly during an interval, that entire interval is not counted. Multiple sources warn that whole-interval methods tend to “underestimate the actual frequency” of behaviors that do not last the entire interval. In effect, the recorded rate is always equal to or lower than the real rate.
Misses Brief or Intermittent Behavior
Relatedly, this method is not good for behaviors that start and stop often. Any behavior shorter than an interval will be largely ignored. Observers must be careful: a behavior that occurs three seconds before the end of a 1-minute interval would not be recorded at all.
Thus, whole-interval recording can give a misleadingly low picture if the target behavior is not truly continuous.
Observer Demands
It can be challenging to implement correctly. The observer must watch continuously and keep precise track of when each interval begins and ends. This dual task makes whole-interval recording somewhat complex.
In practice, if the observer gets distracted, they might miss a change and mark the interval incorrectly.
Limited for Decreasing Behaviors
If the goal is to decrease a negative behavior, whole-interval recording’s underestimation can be misleading. It might look like the behavior is dropping off simply because brief incidents were not counted. In such cases, other methods (like partial-interval recording) are often preferred.
Conclusion
Whole interval recording is a useful ABA tool when you need to ensure that a behavior is happening continuously. It gives clear data on sustained engagement but at the cost of undercounting shorter behaviors. Practitioners often choose it when measuring positive behaviors that should be maintained, while keeping in mind its tendency to underestimate frequency.