Chapter 8 Flashcards
Reversal and Multielement Designs
A-B-A Design
A three-phase experimental design consisting of an initial baseline phase (A) until steady state responding (or counter therapeutic trend) is obtained, an intervention phase in which the treatment condition (B) is implemented until the behavior has changed and steady state responding is obtained, and a return to baseline conditions (A) by withdrawing the independent variable to see whether responding “reverses” to levels observed in the initial baseline phase.
A-B-A-B Design
An experimental design consisting of (I) an initial baseline phase (A) until steady state responding (or counter therapeutic trend) is obtained, (2) an initial intervention phase in which the treatment variable (B) is implemented until the behavior has changed and steady state responding is obtained, (3) a return to baseline conditions by withdrawing the independent variable to see whether responding “reverses” to levels observed in the initial baseline phase, and (4) a second intervention phase to see whether initial treatment effects are replicated (also called reversal design, withdrawal design)
Adapted Alternating Treatments Design
A variation of the multielement design for comparing the efficiency of instructional procedures. The comparison phase of the design features the alternating application of two (usually) or more different teaching methods, each method applied to different but equivalent sets of instructional items. All items are topographically different members of the same response or skill class.
Alternating Treatments Design
An experimental design in which two or more conditions (one of which may be a no treatment control condition) are presented in rapidly alternating succession (e.g., on alternating sessions or days) independent of the level of responding; differences in responding between or among conditions are attributed to the effects of the conditions (also called concurrent schedule design, multielement design, multiple schedule design).
B-A-B Design
A three-phase experimental design that begins with the treatment condition. After steady state responding has been obtained during the initial treatment phase (B), the treatment variable is withdrawn (A) to see whether responding changes in the absence of the independent variable. The treatment variable is then reintroduced (B) in an attempt to recapture the level of responding obtained during the first treatment phase.
Concurrent Chains Design
An experimental design in which participants are presented with two or more response options; each option is associated with a distinct discriminative stimulus and leads to a different set of treatment procedures.
DRI/DRA Reversal Technique
An experimental technique that demonstrates the effects pf reinforcement; it uses differential reinforcement of an incompatible or alternative behavior (DRI/DRA) as a control condition instead of a no-reinforcement (baseline) condition. During the DRJJ DRA condition, the stimulus change used as reinforcement in the reinforcement condition is presented contingent on occurrences of a specified behavior that is either incompatible with the target behavior or an alternative to the target behavior. A higher level of responding during the reinforcement condition than during the DRIIDRA Condition demonstrates that the changes in behavior are the result of contingent reinforcement, not simply the presentation of or contact with the stimulus event
DRO Reversal Technique
An experimental technique for demonstrating the effects of reinforcement by using differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) as a control condition instead of a no-reinforcement (base-line) condition. During the DRO condition, the stimulus change used as reinforcement in the reinforcement condition is presented contingent on the absence of the tar get behavior for a specified time period. A higher level of responding during the reinforcement condition than during the DRO condition demonstrates that the changes in behavior are the result of contingent reinforcement, not simply the presentation of or contact with the stimulus event.
Irreversibility
A situation that occurs when the level of responding observed in a previous phase cannot be reproduced even though the experimental conditions are the same as they were during the earlier phase.
Multielement Design
An experimental design in which two or more conditions (one of which may be a no-treatment control condition) are presented in rapidly alternating succession (alternating sessions or days) independent of the level of responding; between or among are attributed to the effects of the conditions.
Multiple Treatment Interference
The effects of one treatment on a subject’s behavior being con-founding by the influence of another treatment administered in the same study.
Multiple Treatment Reversal Design
Any experimental design that uses the experimental methods and logic of the reversal tactic to compare the effects of two or more experimental conditions to baseline and/or to one another.
Noncontingent Reinforcement Reversal Design
An experimental control technique that demonstrates the effects of reinforcement by using noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) as a control condition instead of a no reinforcement (baseline) condition. During the NCR condition, the stimulus change used as reinforcement in the reinforcement condition is presented on a fixed or variable time schedule independent of the subject’s behavior. A higher level of responding during the reinforcement condition than during the NCR condition demonstrates that the changes in behavior are the result of contingent reinforcement, not simply the presentation of or contact with the stimulus event.
Reversal Design
Any experimental design in which the researcher attempts to verify the effect of the independent variable by “reversing” responding to a level obtained in a previous condition; encompasses experimental designs in which the independent variable is withdrawn (A-B A-B) or reversed in its focus (e.g., DRI/DRA).
Sequence Effects
The effects on a subject’s behavior in a given condition that are the result of the subject’s experience with a prior condition.
