In latency recording, what must be specified?

Latency recording focuses on the time that elapses between the presentation of a stimulus and the initiation of a response. When conducting latency recording, specifying the onset and offset of the stimulus is crucial because latency is essentially a measure of how long it takes for an individual to respond once they have been prompted.

By clearly identifying the onset (the moment the stimulus is presented) and the offset (the moment the response begins), practitioners can accurately calculate the latency period. This measurement can help in understanding response times in various contexts, such as educational settings or behavioral interventions, providing insights into the effectiveness of stimuli or strategies being used.

In contrast, determining the start and stop times of an observation pertains more to the overall duration of the observation rather than measuring latency directly. The total duration of the behavior refers to how long the behavior lasts, and frequency measures how often a behavior occurs, neither of which align with the specific requirements of latency recording.