What does a high IOA indicate about the target behavior?

A high inter-observer agreement (IOA) score indicates that there is a strong level of consistency between different observers in assessing a target behavior. This consistency suggests that the target behavior is clearly defined, allowing observers to recognize and measure it in the same way. Clear definitions reduce ambiguity about what constitutes the behavior, leading to similar or identical observations among different individuals.

In contrast, if a behavior were frequently misjudged, there would likely be a low level of agreement between observers, as interpretations of the behavior would vary significantly. High variability in behavior would also lead to differing assessments, thus decreasing IOA. Lastly, if a behavior is rarely observed, there may be insufficient instances to compare, resulting in unpredictable IOA scores. Therefore, a high IOA directly supports the idea that the target behavior is clearly articulated and understood by all observers involved.