This guide will help you get started with the basics on using a Quarter Year, Daily Standard Behavior Graph (shown on the home page). A broader and more in-depth description of the SBG's capabilties can be found in The Standard Behavior Graph: Standardized Graphing Made Easy (available for free download through the "Free Products" button above).
Vertical Grid Lines: The vertical blue and green lines are all day lines. The thick blue vertical lines that start each week are Monday lines (on the American version of the SBG, the these lines are Sunday lines) , and the vertical green lines represent the other days of the week (Tuesday – Sunday). There are 13 full weeks on the Quarter Year, Daily SBG, and 92 days. There is a blank for the date above the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th week for syncing with real calendar time.
Horizontal Grid Lines: The horizontal green and blue lines, stacked from bottom to top, have values that go from just under .001 to just over 1,000, and represent the range of nearly all measurable human behavior in a day. These lines are not equally spaced because they are on a log scale. Those unfamiliar with log scales, should become more comfortable by quickly saying aloud the value of each horizontal line from the bottom to the top.
A Rhyme for Counting: To help one become familiar with the horizontal line values, try the following rhyme: The numbers with a “1”--- from low to high — are what you count from --- and what you count by. For example, close to the bottom of the Y-axis scale is the number .001 (it has a 1 in it), which means if you start from that blue .001 line, the next horizontal green line up from it is .002 (as labeled), and the next line up from that is .003, then .004, then .005, etc. In other words, you’re counting from .001 by .001's until you get to the next cycle, or line marked with a 1 in it (e.g., .01). For another example, close to the top of the scale on the Y-axis, find the number 100. It also has a 1 in it, so if you start at the blue 100 line, then you’ll count up the from the 100 line by 100‘s (as described by the rhyme). The next horizontal green line up from the 100 line is 200 (as labeled), then the next line up is 300, then 400, 500, 600, etc.
Data can also be plotted in-between the horizontal lines too. For example, if a data point was half way between the 10 line and the 20 line, its value would be about 15. If a data point were placed just a hair under the 20 line, its value would be about 19.
Rate: When one is plotting the dimension of behavior known as “rate,” one must plot the quotient of the following ratio: number of events / recording time in minutes. For example, if 100 responses were counted while observing for 50 minutes on Monday, then the rate is plotted with a “•” on the horizontal 2 per min line where it intersects with that Monday line (100 / 50 = 2). The primary Y-axis scale (along the left side of the SBG) marks and labels the values for rate. On the other hand, the secondary Y-axis scale (along the right side of the SBG) marks and labels all values that are duration and latency.
Duration or Latency: When one is plotting dimensions of behavior such as “duration” or “latency,” one must directly plot the time value of them in minutes. For example, if a response lasts for 10 minutes, then the duration is plotted with a “□“ on the 10 min line. The secondary Y-axis scale (along the right side of the SBG) has common values of minutes also put in terms of hours and seconds in parentheses for a quick reference. Latency is plotted with a “/”.
Converting hours to minutes: Multiply the hours by 60 (e.g., 5 hours = 300 minutes). To convert seconds to minutes, one only needs to divide the seconds by 60 (e.g. 30 second = .5 minutes). Moreover, if a response does not begin until after 30 seconds since the cue to begin was delivered, we’d plot that 30 second latency on the .5 line (with a forward slash “/”), because 30 seconds = .5 minutes.
Recording Time: The duration of time spent observing or recording a behavior is marked with a “^”. Recording times and floors are two separate marks on the SBG (this is to be distinguished from the Standard Celeration Chart convention of using a “record floor,” in which a single mark represents both the rate floor and the recording time). The recording time and rate floor are always the same distance from the red “1” line on the SBG, but the recording time and rate floor are symmetrically placed on opposite sides of the red 1 line.
Floors: A floor is plotted with a "_" and indicates where measured values greater than zero cannot go below. A floor can be for rates, durations, latencies, IRTs, and even percentage data. If the floor is for a rate, then all one must do to find teh value of it is answer the question "what would the rate value be if I counted only 1 instance of the behavior during my observation time?" E.g., if one observed for 50 minutes, then to find the RATE floor, just take 1/50 to get teh rate floor's value (.02), then plot a floor "_" on the .02 line. If on edoes not count any instances of the behavior, then one should put a dot just below that floor to indicate that none were observed in that time.
The floors for latency and duration are more up to the discretion of the observer, depending upon the level of precise measurement that is practical and necessary for the behavior being recorded. A common floor for duration and latency might range as high as 1 minute, or as low at one-tenth of a second.
Percentage Data: If one must display percentage data, they should still use a Standard Behavior Graph: Make double horizontal lines at the 1 line (for the floor) and the 100 line (for the ceiling), and plot the data between the two sets of double lines. Place a large percentage symbol above the ceiling to make it extra clear it is a display of percentage data. A zero percent value would go just below the double line at the 1 line.
Finding Values and Plotting Data : A calculator may be useful to determine values. However, a piece of regular old scrap paper, or the range finder may become a faster method for experienced users. If plotting rate, remember that raw count values must be converted to 'per min' before plotting them (as in the example shown above).
For readers used to plotting on the SCC (Standard Celeration Chart):
The SBG’s grid lines are more widely spaced than the SCC’s, but the angle of a X2 celeration line on the Daily Per Min, SCC is about the same as a X2 Standard Value Trend line on the Quarter Year, Daily SBG: 34 degrees. All of the angles of other trend line values or celeration line values are also the same.
In accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, 2004), and the common practice of calling the first day of the week “Monday” in business and school, the thick blue vertical lines on the SBGs International version are Monday lines (not Sunday lines). (However, for American's used to thinking of the first day of the week as a Sunday, there is an American version too!)
The SBG separates the recording time from the rate floor such that they are represented with two separate marks (^ and -). The SCC combines the rate floor with the recording time, so that the "record floor" is represented with just one mark (-) . The SBG’s visual separation of these concepts emphasizes an important relationship between the behavior being observed, and the behavior of observing it!
The y-axis scale on the right is normal on the SBG: the numbers get larger as you move UP the scale. On the SCC's y-axis on the right, the numbers get larger as you move DOWN the scale because the SCC uses a reciprocal axis for duration and latency (see the "Conference Slides" tab above for more explanation).