Ch14: Single-subject research designs Flashcards
Are single-subjects designs nonexperimental, experimental, or quasi-exerimental?
-experimental. Looking for cause/effect relationships
T/F: case studies are single-subjects designs
FASLE. Case studies are descriptive. No control or manipulation
Pros and cons of single-subjects designs
PROS: -clinicians can conduct research -small sample -flexible CONS: -single subject makes it hard to generalize results -time-consuming
Phases in single-subject designs
BASELINE PHASE (A)
-Participant is their own control
TREATMENT PHASE (B, Cc etc.)
-Measurement of manipulation
In the baseline phase, researchers are looking for ____ in levels of behaviour
In the baseline phase, researchers are looking for STABILITY (or CONSISTENCY) in levels of behaviour.
ie. consistent “amount” of behaviour
Sometimes observations are unstable. What can researchers do?
- wait until it baseline stabilizes or:
2. average across observations (eg., consistent high or low observations)
How many baseline measurements are usually acquired prior to entering treatment phase?
at least 3 baseline measurements. Once you have a stable level and/or trend.
There needs to be some sort of ___ before introducing treatment
stability
If the baseline shows improvement on its own, perhaps treatment…
is not necessary
Why is treatment sometimes administered prior to measuring several baseline phases?
sometimes treatment is needed ASAP.
It could be unethical to delay longer than necessary.
How do researchers analyze data in single-subject designs?
- track behaviour and look for change
- describe observed changes in behaviour
- can’t use traditional methods of statistical analysis
What is an ABAB design? What is the advantage of using this design?
- builds a stronger case than a simple single-subjects design (with baseline followed by treatment)
- sometimes called “reversal design”
- REPEATING TREATMENT AND NO TREATMENT PHASES
- treatment is taken away to see if behaviour returns to baseline. this increases INTERNAL VALIDITY because change is due to treatment, not on its own.
What is an ABAC design?
- baseline, treatment, baseline, new manipulation
- adjustment/changing treatments
Multiple baseline design
- doesn’t require reversal (ABAB)
- can be ACROSS SUBJECTS, ACROSS BEHAVIOURS, or ACROSS SITUATIONS
example of multiple baseline designs across subjects, behaviours, and situations
- across subjects: 1 person stays in baseine phase while another starts treatment
- across behaviours: using two behaviours for a single participant (eg., heartrate and time spent outside)
- across situations: different treatment for different contexts. eg., diff treatment at home than at school for bad behaviour
When behaviour is quantifiable and “goal” levels are set, this is called a ___ ___ design
changing criterion design
What is an alternating treatments design?
- 2+ treatments alternate at every observation
- look for differences in patters between the two treatments
What is the dismantling design?
-removing parts of treatment to determine its necessity/effectiveness
Drawbacks of ABAB design
- may have corrected behaviour with the first treatment, so baseline won’t be reestablished
- withdrawal is unethical (eg., taking away depression meds)
Drawbacks of multiple baseline design
- difficult to separate behaviours or contexts
- individual differences between subjects leading to different baseline/changes in behaviour
Drawbacks of changing criterion design
-change in behaviour may have been occurring naturally, regardless of set goals
drawbacks of alternating treatment design
- only possible if different treatments can be alternated (same with dismantling design)
- not possible for behaviour learned in stages
Why can’t the alternating treatment design be used when training a dog to roll over?
-the dog cant learn because it cannot build on changed behaviour if treatment is changed
in summary, what are the different single-subjects designs?
- ABA
- multiple baseline
- changing criterion
- alternating treatment
- dismantling
