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ABA Data Collection

Latency Recording

Latency recording measures the time that elapses between a stimulus or instruction and the start of the response. Instead of how often or how long a behavior occurs, latency tells you how quickly a person begins to respond, which is often the dimension that matters for following directions.

How latency recording works

To record latency, you start timing the moment a clearly defined stimulus or instruction is delivered, and you stop timing when the response begins. The measure is the elapsed time before the behavior starts, not how long the behavior itself lasts.

A precise operational definition of both the stimulus and the start of the response is essential, because the accuracy of the measure depends entirely on knowing exactly when to start and stop the clock.

Latency vs. duration

Latency and duration are easy to confuse because both involve timing. The key difference is what is being timed. Latency measures the time from the instruction to the beginning of the response. Duration measures how long the response lasts once it has begun.

For example, if a teacher says "Line up" and a student starts walking to the line after 15 seconds, the latency is 15 seconds, regardless of how long it then takes the student to actually reach the line.

When to use latency recording

Latency recording is most useful when the speed of responding is the concern.

  • Instruction-following, where a goal is to reduce the delay before a student begins to comply.
  • Transitions, where you want to measure how quickly a person starts moving to the next activity.
  • Any situation where a long delay before responding, rather than the response itself, is the problem.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between latency and duration?
Latency measures the time between an instruction and the start of the response. Duration measures how long the response lasts once it has begun.
When is latency recording most useful?
It is most useful when the delay before a response matters, such as measuring how quickly a student begins to follow an instruction or start a transition.

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