Graphing

The Important Elements of a Graph  Horizontal Axis (X-Axis)  Represents the passage of time and the numerical value of behavior.  The Independent Variable.  Vertical Axis (Y-Axis)  Represents the numerical property of the behavior.  The Dependent Variable.  Title  Should explain the goal of the graph and what it measures.  Scale  The scale of the numbers is important to accurately interpreting the graph.

TYPES OF GRAPHS LINE GRAPH BAR GRAPH PIE CHART SCATTER PLOT

Line Graph  The most common type of graph.  Points connected by a line to make a visual pattern over time.  This pattern is used to evaluate trends.

Bar Graph  Often used when portions of a whole are being represented.  Often used when representing percentage.  Can be useful when the X-axis uses nonconsecutive data points.  Works well to compare information across individuals, settings, or situations.

Pie Chart  Useful in representing portions of a whole.  Useful in representing percentages

Scatter Plot  Used when a variety of measurements are taken consecutively.  Each point is independent.  Can see how one point compares with others.

Generating a Graph

Graphing Gives the viewer the ability to see trends and analyze data in a different way than simply looking at numbers.