Knowledge Base

Instantaneous Sampling

Aim

To code your observation with instantaneous sampling.

Prerequisites

• You created and started an observation.
• You chose Instantaneous Sampling as the observation method.

Procedure

1. A sound signal is given at the observation start. The Event Log shows all subjects from the Instantaneous Sampling subject group at time 0. It also shows the behavior groups that are linked to the subjects and must be scored in gray. When you carry out an offline observation, the video file pauses until you have scored all subjects, irrespective of whether you selected the option Pause Playback When Scoring an Event in the Project Settings. The Codes window shows the current subject-behavior combination in the Status column and the behavior group that needs to be scored.
2. Score a behavior for each subject. As soon as the behavior is scored it appears in the event log.
3. If the behavior was linked to one or more modifiers, the modifier cell will be selected. The Codes window now shows all the modifiers that can be attached to the scored behavior. Score the modifier. The modifier appears in the event log.
4. If you have selected Add Comment in the Properties pane of the subject or the behavior you have just scored, the Comment cell will be selected with the word Comment in gray. Enter a comment and press Enter. If you do not want to add a comment, just press Enter. The event is now complete.
5. Add new events by repeating the steps above to finish scoring the complete sample.
   • Live – Wait until the sample interval has elapsed to score the next sample, indicated by a sound signal.
   • Offline – Click the Next Sample button to position the video at the time of the next sample.

What's Next

• To stop the observation, see Stop the Observation.
• To correct scoring errors, see Correct Event Log Errors Manually.
• For more information, see the Notes on Instantaneous Sampling and How To procedures.

Notes on Instantaneous Sampling

Timers

• The Timers window displays the Remaining Interval Time.
• Live – The timer counts down until the next instantaneous sample.
• Offline – The timer displays the sample interval length.
• If no Timers window is visible, choose View Settings > Show Window > Timers. You can drag the Timers window to below or next to the Event Log so you can easily see how much time is left until the next sample. To hide specific timers, right-click in the Timers window and deselect the timer.

Subjects

• Subjects in an instantaneous sample block appear in the order they are placed in the coding scheme. Click the behavior cell of another subject to score in a different order.

Modifiers

• If modifiers are not required, you can skip them and go to the Comment column or start a new event line by pressing Enter.

Comments

• If you do not want the Comment cell to be selected every time you score an event, make sure that for all behaviors and subjects the Add Comment option is not selected. See Define Subject Properties and Define Modifier (Group) Properties in Set Up Your Project.

Samples

• When the next sample begins before you finished scoring the previous sample, which only occurs in a live observation, the non-scored events are set to missing.
• When your observation duration is a multiple of the sample interval, no sample is scored at the end of the observation. If you do want to score this sample, make the observation for example one second longer.

Continuous and Instantaneous Sampling

Aim

To code your observation with a combination of continuous and instantaneous sampling.

Prerequisites

• You created and started an observation.
• You chose Combine Continuous and Instantaneous Sampling as the observation method.

Procedure

1. As soon as the observation is started, the first cell in the instantaneous sample block is selected. Score this sample according to the general procedure for Instantaneous Sampling.
2. As soon as you finish scoring the instantaneous sample, continuous sampling starts and you can score data for the subjects you follow continuously. Follow the procedure described in Continuous Sampling.

Notes on Continuous and Instantaneous Sampling

• If you score live and your focal subject changes behavior while you are scoring the instantaneous sample, click the row under Instantaneous Sample End and score the behavior for the focal subject. Next, click a row in the instantaneous sample block to continue instantaneous sampling.
• When your observation duration is a multiple of the sample interval, no sample is scored at the end of the observation. If you do want to score this sample, make the observation for example one second longer. An event scored with continuous sampling at the exact moment the observation stops is also not included in the analysis.
• When a new sample starts before you have finished scoring a continuous event, you are asked whether you want to finish or discard the event before scoring the sample. This occurs, for example, when you have not yet scored a required modifier.

How To Edit and Correct Observations

Available Procedures

• Check the event log for errors
• Correct event log errors automatically
• Correct event log errors manually
• Synchronize data sets
• Change the observation's start time and duration
• Add an element to the coding scheme
• Edit a coding scheme element after observing
• Undo coding actions
• Enter events as free text
• Submit an incomplete event
• Score action-reaction data (triggering behavior)
• Score reciprocal behavior
• Suspend an observation
• Carry out observations with external programs
• Import data into an observation
• Score data after importing external data
• Export observational data
• Find events