CH07 - Analyzing Behavior Change

Question 1

Experimental Control

Answer 1

achieved when a predictable CHANGE in behavior (DV) can be reliably PRODUCED by the systematic MANIPULATION of some person’s environment (IV).

Question 2

Functional Relation

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Behavior Defining Features and Assumptions that Guide Its Analysis?

Answer 3

Defining features 
• Behavior is an individual phenomenon 
• Behavior is a continuous phenomenon 
Assumptions 
• Behavior is determined 
• Behavioral variability is extrinsic to the organism

Question 4

Experimental Analysis

Answer 4

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

Question 5

internal validity

Answer 5

EXPERIMENTS that show convincingly that CHANGES in BEHAVIOR are a FUNCTION of the IV and are not the result of uncontrolled or unknown variables.

Question 6

confounding variables

Answer 6

UNCONTROLLED VARIABLES known or suspected to exert and INFLUENCE on the DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Question 7

extraneous variables

Answer 7

ASPECTS of the ENVIRONMENT that the experimenter MUST CONTROL

Question 8

external validity

Answer 8

the DEGREE in which a STUDY’S FINDINGS have GENERALITY to other SUBJECTS, SETTINGS and/or BEHAVIOR.

Question 9

experimental question (aka, research question)

Answer 9

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?

Question 10

experimental design

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Contingency

Answer 11

The relationship between two events, one being “contingent” or a consequence of the other. All behaviors have a consequence.

Question 12

Components of Experiments

Answer 12

At least one:

1. Subject or participant
2. Behavior (DV)
3. Setting
4. Intervention or Treatment (IV)
5. System for Measuring Behavior and ongoing Visual Analysis
6. Manipulations of the IV so that effects on the DV can be detected.

Question 13

single subject design

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Nonparametric study

Answer 14

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE is either PRESENT or ABSENT during a time period or phase of the study.

Question 15

parametric analysis (the real action vs. nonparametric)

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

steady state strategy

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

baseline logic

Answer 17

entails three elements- prediction, verification, replication

Question 18

prediction

Answer 18

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.”

Question 19

Baseline

Answer 19

CONTROL CONDITION and does NOT NECESSARILY mean the absence of instruction or treatment.

Question 20

practice effects

Answer 20

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

Question 21

affirmation of the consequent

Answer 21

the predictive power of a steady state responding enables the BX analyst to employ a kind of inductive logic

Question 22

verification

Answer 22

accomplished by demonstrating that prior level of baseline responding would have remained unchanged had the IV not been introduced

Question 23

stable baseline

Answer 23

data show no evidence of an upward or downward trend and all of the measures fall within a small range of values.

Question 24

replication

Answer 24

repeating independent variable manipulations conducted previously in the study and obtaining similar outcomes.

Question 25

Stable state responding

Answer 25

a PATTERN of RESPONDING that exhibits relatively LITTLE VARIATION in its measured dimensional quantities OVER a period of TIME.

Question 26

variable baseline

Answer 26

data points do not consistently fall within a narrow range of values

Question 27

A-B design

Answer 27

a 2 phase experimental design consisting a pre-treatment baseline condition (A) followed by a treatment condition (B)