Behavioral Coding Method: Duration Coding
Definition: Record how long some behavior happens over a larger period of time.
Behavior: Person in a group who was previously talking stopping and listening to someone else in the group/the rest of the group speaking. This will be observed through eye contact with the person talking, responding to but not talking over them, nodding and encouragement while the speaker is talking.
Strengths of duration coding: It works well for more detailed/complicated/intricate activities, such as interacting with other people. It is also useful with extended behaviors that take time, rather than short and quick motions.
Weaknesses of duration coding: If the behavior you're watching has many elements, it may be difficult to properly identify when it is happening. Also it's difficult to use with faster behaviors, since they begin and end so quickly and it's difficult to record how long they take.
Other Details: At late night on 1st floor denaples
Data:
1 minute 39 seconds of conversation
40 second side conversation with a friend who walked up
8 minute 13 second conversation with phones being shown, talking about family and friends at home
1 minute 7 second side conversation with a friend who walked up
2 minute side conversation with a friend who walked up
6 minute 27 second conversation
12 minute 38 second conversation
4 minute conversation
3 minute 31 second side conversation
2 minute conversation
TOTAL: 40 minutes, 35 seconds of full conversations involving eye contact, good responses, and minimal interruptions of other people in the group.