Which term refers to measurement conducted in a manner such that some instances of the response class(es) of interest may not be detected?

• A. Discontinuous Measurement
• B. Continuous Measurement
• C. Time Sampling
• D. Event Counting

Answer: (A)

Discontinuous measurement describes data collection in which you don’t observe or record every instance of the target behavior. By checking for the behavior only at specific times or intervals (such as partial-interval or momentary time sampling), some occurrences happen outside the recording moments and may go undetected. This is why the method can bias results and miss parts of the behavior. In contrast, continuous measurement aims to capture every instance, so nothing is missed, while time sampling is a specific type of discontinuous method. Event counting typically involves tallying each occurrence during the observation period, aligning more with continuous observation.