ABA glossary
ABC recording
Also called ABC data, antecedent-behavior-consequence recording
Definition
A descriptive assessment method in which the observer records the antecedent, the behavior, and the consequence for occurrences of a target behavior, either with a checklist of preset codes (ABC continuous recording) or as open-ended notes (ABC narrative recording).
In plain words
ABC data capture what happens right before (antecedent) and right after (consequence) a behavior in its natural setting. Over many entries, patterns emerge: tantrums mostly after "time to stop," followed by getting the tablet back, for example. ABC data describe what happened; they do not prove why the behavior occurs. Good entries describe observable events in plain terms, not interpretations such as "he was frustrated."
Example from a session
An RBT is asked to record ABC data on Ari's worksheet tearing. Her entry reads: A, "teacher placed a math worksheet on his desk and said 'Start now'"; B, "tore the worksheet in half"; C, "teacher sent him to the hallway for 5 minutes." She writes only what she saw and heard, records every episode during the observation as the plan asks, and leaves the interpretation to the BCBA.
For BCBA candidates and supervisors
Checklist (continuous) formats are faster and easier to summarize, and their codes are often built from interview information; narrative formats capture unexpected events but are harder to analyze consistently. Analysts summarize ABC data with conditional probabilities and compare them with how often the consequence occurs anyway, because a consequence that follows behavior often is not necessarily maintaining it. ABC data generate hypotheses to test, not conclusions. Avoid calling checklist ABC data "structured": a structured descriptive assessment is a different method, in which antecedents are deliberately arranged.
Often confused with structured descriptive assessment, functional analysis
ABC recording observes naturally occurring events without changing them. A structured descriptive assessment arranges certain antecedents in the natural setting (for example, asking a teacher to give demands for 10 minutes) while caregivers respond as usual. A functional analysis arranges both antecedents and consequences and includes a control condition, so it can show causation, which ABC data cannot.
Exam tip
Choose the ABC entry written in observable terms ("teacher said 'Clean up'"), not interpretations ("he didn't want to clean"). ABC data show correlations (what tends to happen around the behavior); they cannot confirm function.
Can you spot ABC recording in a scenario?
Practice RBT B.3 with exam-style questions and instant feedback.