Which data collection method uses the finished product as the record of behavior rather than the behavior itself?

• A. Permanent product recording procedures
• B. Continuous measurement procedures
• C. Discontinuous measurement procedures
• D. Latency

Answer: (A)

Permanent product recording uses the outcome of a behavior—the finished artifact—as the record of whether the behavior occurred and to what extent. This works well when you can observe or measure the result after the behavior has happened, such as a completed worksheet, a cleaned area, or a built item. It differs from methods that capture the behavior as it happens (continuous measurement) or that sample behavior at intervals (discontinuous measurement). Latency, on the other hand, measures the time from a cue to the start of the response, not the finished product. So the finished product serves as durable evidence of the behavior, even after the fact.