Chapter 7 Flashcards
Analyzing Behavior Change: Basic Assumptions and Strategies
A-B Design
A two-phase experimental design consisting of a pre-treatment baseline condition (A) followed by treatment condition (B).
Affirmation of the Consequent
A three-step form of reasoning that begins with a time antecedent-consequent (if-A then-B) statement and proceeds as follows: (I) If A is true, then B is true; (2) B is found to be true; (3) therefore, A is true. Although other factors could be responsible the truthfulness of A, a sound experiment affirms several if-A then-B possibilities, each one reducing the likelihood of factors other than the independent variable being responsible for the observed changes in behavior.
Ascending Baseline
A data path that shows an increasing trend in the response measure over time.
Baseline Logic
A term sometimes used to refer to the experimental reasoning inherent in single-subject experimental designs; entails three elements: prediction, verification, and replication
Cofounding Variable
An uncontrolled factor known or suspected to exert influence on the dependent variable.
Dependent Variable
The variable in an experiment measured to determine if it changes as a result of manipulations of the independent variable; in applied behavior analysis, it represents some measure of a socially significant behavior
Descending Baseline
A data path that shows a decreasing trend in the response measure over time.
Experimental Control
(a) the outcome of an experiment that demonstrates convincingly a functional relation, meaning that experimental control is achieved when a predictable change in behavior (the dependent variable) can be reliably produced by manipulating a specific aspect of the environment (the independent variable); and (b) the extent to which a researcher maintains precise control of the independent variable by presenting it, with drawing it, and/or varying its value, and also by eliminating or holding constant all confounding and extraneous variables.
Experimental Design
The particular type and sequence of conditions in a study so that meaningful comparisons of the effects of the presence and absence (or different values) of the independent variable can be made.
External Validity
The degree to which a study’s findings have generality to other subjects, settings, and/or behaviors.
Extraneous Variable
Any aspect of the experimental setting (e.g., lighting, temperature) that must be held constant to prevent unplanned environmental variation.
Independent Variable
A contingency in which reinforcement for each member of a group is dependent on that person’s meeting a performance criterion that is in effect for all members of the group.
Internal Validity
The extent to which the researcher can show that the behavior change that occurred during an intervention was a direct result of the manipulation of the independent variable.
Parametric Analysis
An experiment designed to discover the differential effects of a range of values of an independent variable.
Practice Effects
Improvements in performance resulting from opportunities to per-form a behavior repeatedly so that baseline measures can be obtained.
Prediction
A statement of the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement; one of three components of the experimental reasoning, or baseline logic, used in single-subject research designs
Research Question
A statement of what the researcher seeks to learn by conducting the experiment; may be presented in a question form and is most often found in a published account as a statement of the experiments purpose. All aspects of an experiments design should follow form the research question.
Replication
a) Repeating conditions within an experiment to determine the reliability of effects and increase internal validity. (See baseline logic, prediction, verification.) (b) Repeating whole experiments to determine the generality of findings of previous experiments to other subjects, settings, and/or behaviors.
Singe-Case Design
A wide variety of research designs that use a form of experimental reasoning called baseline logic to demonstrate the effects of the independent variable on the behavior of individual subjects.
Stable Baseline
Data that show no evidence of an upward or downward trend; all of the measures fall within a relatively small range of values.
Steady 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 that do not consistently fall within a narrow range of values and do not suggest any clear trend.
Verification
One of three components of the experimental reasoning, or base-line logic, used in single-subject research designs; accomplished by demonstrating that the prior level of baseline responding would have remained unchanged had the independent variable not been introduced. Verifying the accuracy of the original predication re-duces the probability that some uncontrolled (confounding) vari-able was responsible for the observed change in behavior.
