Chapter 3: Single Subject Research Designs for Evaluating Interventions Flashcards
What is meant by internal validity? Illustrate with a sport example.
If the independent variable did indeed cause the observed change in the dependent variable. An example is a treatment for figure skaters causing performance to increase and it being shown that it was not due to some other uncontrolled variables using a reversal to baseline phase and then a replication phase again.
Identify limitations of the reversal replication design, and illustrate with a sport example.
It may be undesirable or unattainable to observe a reversal. Once a golf pro has taught a novice golfer to hit a golf ball over 200 years, it is unlikely that the golfer would deliberately return to his original, unorthodox swing, which produced a 150-yard drive.
Describe briefly with reference to a sport example, a multiple-baseline design across people.
A multiple baseline design across people involves baseline data taken concurrently across all the subjects then the intervention (for example mental imagery sessions five times a day in a quiet place alone, a player would imagine playing the game and cutting off the path of the offensive player correctly) would be introduced to one subject while the rest remained on the baseline. Then, in a staggered fashion the intervention would be introduced to the rest of the subjects.
What does it mean to say that a finding is externally valid? Illustrate with a sport example.
It can be generalized to other behaviours, individuals, settings, or treatments. An example is a basketball shooting treatment that improves the jumpshot across many different basketball players and shot forms.
Briefly describe, with reference to a sport example, a multiple-baseline design across behaviours.
A multiple baseline design across behaviours is when the effects of a treatment are examined on two or more behaviours of a single individual, rather than on a single behaviour of several individuals. It involves measuring a behaviour as it occurs during two or more alternating treatments. Example: A basketball coach wanted to be a better coach. First, the coach’s behaviour and its effect are examined while the other treatment is introduced to the first behaviour and its effects are examined while other behaviour remains on baseline. Second, the treatment was introduced to the second behaviour and its effects are examined, and so on for all the observed behaviours.
Briefly describe, with reference to a sport example, the characteristics of an alternating-treatment design.
Measuring a behaviour as it occurs during two or more alternating treatments. One treatment per session is typically applied, and treatments are alternated across sessions. Presenting each treatment for only one session at a time and alternating the treatments in a randomized fashion. An example is comparing the effects of standard coaching (as a baseline) versus standard coaching plus public self-regulation (treatment 1) versus standard coaching plus private self-regulation (treatment 2) on the frequency of completed skills by young gymnasts during practice on the balance beam. Conditions are randomly altered each session.
What are two limitations of the alternating treatment design?
1) Generalization may occur because of similarities between conditions.
2) Contrasting effects may enhance differences between conditions.
In a sentence, what is an inter-observer reliability assessment?
Two observers separately evaluate and record a dependent variable and then their observations are compared.
Describe three commonalities between group designs and single-subject designs.
1) They both have a goal of evaluating the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable.
2) Both require acceptable inter-observer reliability assessments of the dependent variable.
3) Both typically require acceptable procedural reliability assessments.
Describe three characteristics of single-subject designs that distinguish them from group designs.
1) Single-subject designs require repeated measurement of the dependent variable.
2) Single-subject designs do not typically include control groups.
3) Single-subject designs typically use visual inspection data to determine the effect of a treatment on a dependent variable.
List three limitations of the control group methodology for conducting research in behavioural psychology.
1) It is difficult to find participants at the same skill level to form groups.
2) Coaches and athletes may resist participating in a no-treatment control group.
3) Control group designs use the average performance of the group and require pre-post assessments rather than continuous monitoring, which is preferred by coaches and players.
