ABA SAFMEDS Practice Exam

Temporal locus is the point in time at which a behavior occurs relative to other events. This item centers on that timing—every instance of behavior happens at a specific moment in relation to antecedents and consequences. Understanding this distinction helps you see that timing is about when the response starts, not how long it lasts. For example, a lever press that occurs 0.5 seconds after a light turns on has a precise temporal locus at that 0.5-second mark. Temporal extent, by contrast, concerns how long the behavior lasts once it starts. Time sampling describes a measurement method for recording whether behavior occurs during specified intervals. Stimulus-response focuses on the relationship between a stimulus and the response, but not the exact timing of the response relative to the stimulus.