Observation

# Observe

Interval recording of play, social behavior, and group skills

A timer for momentary time sampling or partial-interval recording. The adult selects up to 4 behaviors from a fixed list. At each tone, the adult taps the behaviors that the adult sees.

 [Open Observe](https://aba-tools.com/tools/observe)

## When

-   Measure behavior that you observe, not behavior in trials. Examples are independent play, play with peers, and on-task behavior in a group.
-   Use at recess, centers, circle time, or free play.
-   Monitor the change in the percent of intervals over weeks.

## Why

-   A soft tone marks each interval, so you can look at the learner and not at the screen.
-   Momentary time sampling makes the buttons available for 3 seconds after the tone. Partial interval keeps them available for the full interval.
-   Each interval saves a yes or no for each behavior, so the percent of intervals is exact.

## How

1.  Select **Momentary** or **Partial interval**.
2.  Select 10, 15, or 30 seconds.
3.  Select up to 4 behaviors.
4.  Tap **Start**.
5.  For Momentary, tap the behaviors that you see at each tone. For Partial interval, tap each behavior when it occurs.
6.  To stop, tap **Stop**. The summary shows the percent of intervals for each behavior.

**Saved to the dashboard:** A yes or no for each behavior in each interval. The dashboard shows a graph of the percent of intervals for each behavior, by session. The method is the phase.

## More for bcbas & adults

- **[Probe Day](https://aba-tools.com/guide/probe-day)** (Data): Cold probes, mastery by probe, and maintenance across every trial tool
- **[Milestones Tracker](https://aba-tools.com/guide/milestones)** (Assessment): Scoring and graphing 170 milestones across 16 domains
- **[Barriers Checklist](https://aba-tools.com/guide/barriers)** (Assessment): Scoring 24 learning barriers from 0 to 4
- **[Transition Readiness](https://aba-tools.com/guide/transition)** (Assessment): Scoring 18 transition areas, with tool data alongside

The guide has all tools, learner profiles, and questions. [Privacy policy](https://aba-tools.com/privacy) [Back to the guide](https://aba-tools.com/guide)

---
From https://aba-tools.com/guide/observe
