Temporal distributions of problem behavior based on scatter plot analysis

The scatter plot is a commonly used assessment tool for identifying tempora l patterns in the occurrence of behavior problems. However, the extent to w hich such patterns are frequently observed is unknown because little resear ch has evaluated the general utility of the scatter plot. We conducted a la rge-scale analysis of within- and across-day occurrences of problem behavio r by conducting continuous observations of 20 individuals living in four re sidential facilities. Data were recorded during 30-min intervals throughout participants' waking hows for 30 days by direct care staff and were conver ted into scatter plot formats. Five sets of data were excluded from further analysis due to poor interobserver agreement (below 80%). Visual analysis of the remaining 15 scatter plots indicated that none showed any reliable t emporal pattern of responding. However, when the data were transformed into aggregate "control charts" based on statistical process control procedures , 12 of the 15 sets of data revealed one or more 30-min intervals during wh ich problem behavior was more likely to occur. Results are discussed in ter ms of the practicality of applying statistical analyses to scatter plot dat a and of collecting data for the length of time needed to show statistical significance. It was concluded that detailed functional or descriptive anal yses, which would reveal cause-effect or correlational relationships betwee n behavior and specific environmental events, may be both more precise and more efficient forms of assessment.