Why do you use the Standard Celeration Chart?

[This question and its answer was contributed by Dr. Rick Kubina, in a private email message.]

Figure 1: an equal-interval or add-subtract chart

People use graphic designs (e.g., graphs and charts) to "make sense" out of quantitative information. Different graphic designs can lead to different interpretations of the data. Because most graphic  designs use "times series*" the Standard Celeration Chart (SCC) offers numerous advantages in interpreting quantitative information. For example the SCC represents data "proportionally" instead of "absolutely." A look at the data from Kubina (1999) shows an example of data represented absolutely (Figure 1 shows an equal-interval or add-subtract chart) and proportionally

(Figure 2 shows a Standard Celeration Chart). Vastly different interpretations result from viewing the same data on different graphic designs (equal-interval versus the Standard Celeration Chart).

The Standard Celeration Chart also contains many other advantages. The following lists some of the advantages of using the Standard Celeration Chart:

• A Standard Celeration Chart displays behavioral frequencies, celeration changes, and bounce that correspond to the natural flow of behavior.

• SCC's pre-constructed, standard nature, means individual users will not have to concern themselves with "design variation" issues, or factors that distort the true nature of the data.

• Evidence suggests that Kindergarten children (Bates & Bates, 1971) through senior citizens (Kubina, Haertel, & Cooper, 1994) can learn how to use and understand the Standard Celeration Chart.

• Standard display permits chart readers to react in a similar, and quicker, manner to the same data, lessens the chance of committing interpretation errors due to design variations, and allows those with "differing histories with interpret data effectively" (Johnston & Pennypacker, 1993, p. 320).

• SCC can facilitate new discoveries when placing behavior on a frequency spectrum (Lindsley, 1991).

Please refer to Pennypacker, Koenig, & Lindsley (1972) for other technical details of the Standard Celeration Chart.

*Time series- a graphic design which has "one dimension marching along to the regular rhythm of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries, or millennia" (Tufte, 1983, p. 28) and another dimension showing the quantitative value of some event or occurrence.

References

Bates, S., & Bates, D. F. (1971). "...and a child shall lead them":  Stephanie's chart story. Teaching Exceptional Children, 3(3), 111-113.

Johnston, J. M., & Pennypacker, H. S. (1993). Strategies and tactics of behavior research (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kubina, R. M. (1999). [Repeated readings monitored by a preservice teacher]. Unpublished raw data.

Kubina, R. M., Haertel, M. W., & Cooper, J. O. (1994). Reducing negative inner behavior of Senior Citizens: The one-minute counting procedure. Journal of Precision Teaching, 11(2), 28-35.

Lindsley, O. R. (1991). Precision Teaching's unique legacy from B. F. Skinner. Journal of Behavioral Education, 1(2), 253-266.

Pennypacker, H. S., Koenig, C. H., & Lindsley, O. R. (1972). Handbook of the standard behavior chart. Kansas City, KS: Precision Media.

Tufte, E. R. (1983). The visual display of quantitative information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.