CH07 - Analyzing Behavior Change Flashcards
Experimental Control
achieved when a predictable CHANGE in behavior (DV) can be reliably PRODUCED by the systematic MANIPULATION of some person’s environment (IV).
Functional Relation
Establishing a consistent effect on a dependent variable by systematically manipulating an independent variable.
Demonstrating that an intervention reliably produces a particular change in behavior.
Behavior Defining Features and Assumptions that Guide Its Analysis?
Defining features • Behavior is an individual phenomenon • Behavior is a continuous phenomenon Assumptions • Behavior is determined • Behavioral variability is extrinsic to the organism
Experimental Analysis
a) Experimentally DETERMINING the EFFECTS of ENVIRONMENTAL MANIPULATION on BEHAVIOR and
b) DEMONSTRATING that those effects can be RELIABLY produced
Can be achieved when:
A reliable functional relation between behavior and some specified aspect of the environment has been demonstrated convincingly
internal validity
EXPERIMENTS that show convincingly that CHANGES in BEHAVIOR are a FUNCTION of the IV and are not the result of uncontrolled or unknown variables.
confounding variables
UNCONTROLLED VARIABLES known or suspected to exert and INFLUENCE on the DEPENDENT VARIABLE
extraneous variables
ASPECTS of the ENVIRONMENT that the experimenter MUST CONTROL
external validity
the DEGREE in which a STUDY’S FINDINGS have GENERALITY to other SUBJECTS, SETTINGS and/or BEHAVIOR.
experimental question (aka, research question)
a brief but specific STATEMENT of what the RESEARCHER WANTS to LEARN from conducting the experiment” (Johnston & Pennypacker)
What are the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable
• for what population & in what setting?
experimental design
particular arrangement of conditions in a study so that meaningful comparisons of the effects of the presence, absence of different values of the IV can be made
Contingency
The relationship between two events, one being “contingent” or a consequence of the other. All behaviors have a consequence.
Components of Experiments
At least one:
- Subject or participant
- Behavior (DV)
- Setting
- Intervention or Treatment (IV)
- System for Measuring Behavior and ongoing Visual Analysis
- Manipulations of the IV so that effects on the DV can be detected.
single subject design
EXPERIMENTAL LOGIC or reasoning for analyzing behavior change:
- the SUBJECT is EMPLOYED as their OWN CONTROL.
Measures of the subject’s behavior during each phase of the study provide the basis for comparing the effects of experimental variables as they are presented or withdrawn in subsequent conditions.
Nonparametric study
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE is either PRESENT or ABSENT during a time period or phase of the study.
parametric analysis (the real action vs. nonparametric)
seeks to discover the DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS of RANGE of VALUES of the independent variable.
The effects of different dosages of the IV on the DV.
steady state strategy
REPEATEDLY EXPOSING a subject to a given CONDITION while trying to eliminate or control any extraneous variables on the BX, and OBTAINING a STABLE PATTERN of RESPONDING before introducing the next condition.
baseline logic
entails three elements- prediction, verification, replication
prediction
REPEATED OBSERVATIONS reveals that TWO EVENTS consistently COVARY with each other (correlation), which leads to predictive statements.
Prediction can be defined as “the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement. It is the most elegant use of quantification upon which validation of all scientific and technological activity rests”
“… if no changes occur in the subject’s environment—subsequent measures will fall within the range of values obtained thus far.”
Baseline
CONTROL CONDITION and does NOT NECESSARILY mean the absence of instruction or treatment.
practice effects
refers to IMPROVEMENTS in performance RESULTING FROM REPEATED opportunities to emit the behavior so that baseline measurements can be obtained.
For example, attempting to obtain stable baseline data for students per- forming arithmetic problems can result in improved levels of responding simply because of the repeated practice inherent in the measurement process. Practice effects confound a study, making it impossible to separate and account for the effects of practice and instruction on the student’s final performance
affirmation of the consequent
the predictive power of a steady state responding enables the BX analyst to employ a kind of inductive logic
verification
accomplished by demonstrating that prior level of baseline responding would have remained unchanged had the IV not been introduced
stable baseline
data show no evidence of an upward or downward trend and all of the measures fall within a small range of values.
replication
repeating independent variable manipulations conducted previously in the study and obtaining similar outcomes.
Stable state responding
a PATTERN of RESPONDING that exhibits relatively LITTLE VARIATION in its measured dimensional quantities OVER a period of TIME.
variable baseline
data points do not consistently fall within a narrow range of values
A-B design
a 2 phase experimental design consisting a pre-treatment baseline condition (A) followed by a treatment condition (B)