Definition
Duration refers to the total amount of time a specific behavior occurs. In behavior analysis, measuring the duration of a behavior is important when the length of time the behavior lasts is of interest, rather than how frequently it occurs.
Example
A teacher is tracking how long a student spends working on a math assignment without leaving their seat. The teacher starts a timer when the student begins working and stops it when the student leaves their seat. The duration of the behavior (staying on task) is recorded as 15 minutes. By measuring duration, the teacher can assess the student’s ability to sustain focus on the task over time.