Efficacy of Using Momentary Time Samples to Determine On-Task Behavior of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Momentary time samples (MTS) of 2, 4, and 6 min were compared to continuous recording samples of on-task behavior for 3 elementary-aged students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD). The comparison revealed that the data trends across observation sessions produced by the 2-min interval MTS were consistent with, albeit generally slightly higher than, the continuous measure. While both the 2 and 4-min interval MTS measures correlated at a statistically significant level with the continuous measure, the 4-min, and more so the 6-min interval MTS measures each produced a data path that held a variable relationship to the continuous measures. That is, the data paths produced by the 4 and 6-min MTS were substantially different from the data path produced by the continuous measure. Considerations for the use of MTS measures in research and in classrooms for students with EBD are discussed.