Chapter 5 - Experimental Designs for Studying Everyday Behavior Flashcards
To find out if a particular “treatment” for the problem behavior works.
Most important aspect is if it can rule out ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS of the results.
Single Subject Experiment
To find out whether a particular treatment works you can use…
Behavioral Experiments
The period of time during an experiment when they are delivering the treatment.
Treatment Condition
The period of an experiment WITHOUT THE TREATMENT.
Baseline
The method introduced to MODIFY the rate of a behavior. The treatment may be designed to either increase or decrease the behavior.
Treatment
Behavior analysts run ________ to find out whether a treatment modifies a behavioral variable.
Their _______ have at least a BASELINE CONDITION and a TREATMENT CONDITION.
Their _______ compare the rate of behavior in each condition.
Experiments
Finding a similar rate of behavior suggests that the treatment did not modify the behavior.
Finding a different rate suggests the obvious explanation that the treatment modified behavior.
Rate of Behavior
Showing that events other than the treatment did not CAUSE an observed difference.
Ruling Out Alternative Explanations
To expose the SAME person/subject to the baseline and treatment. A powerful way to establish CAUSALITY.
Can be used on more than one subject to see if their finding apply to one person or to many persons. Used to assess the GENERALITY of their findings.
Let behavior analysis discover many causes of behavior.
Principle of Single Subject Experiments
The SIMPLEST design. An experimental design comparing the baseline condition with the treatment condition.
It observes the behavior for the same person (or persons) in both conditions.
Does not rule out ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS based on time.
Comparison Design
(STRONG DESIGN) Similar to comparison design. You start with a comparison design, then go one step further and REVERSE from treatment back to baseline.
Rules out INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES and TIME COINCIDENCE.
Reversal Design
The first two conditions would be identical to a backward comparison design.
Start with the treatment rather than the baseline. You would have 3 conditions: treatment, then baseline, then reversal to treatment.
Backward Reversal Design
An experimental design that introduces the treatment at DIFFERENT TIMES for 2 OR MORE behaviors.
Can be thought of as TWO COMPARISON DESIGNS.
Multiple-Baseline Design
Start with treatment 1st and then introduce the baseline. You would have 2 conditions for each person.
Backward Multiple Baseline Design
Occurs only once. The treatment may be over but the effects continue.
One Time Treatments
