CHP 2 UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH Flashcards
Variables
things that aren’t the same and can be changed
Dependent variable
the objectively measured target behavior
Functional variables
Biological (nature)
Environmental (nurture)
Independent variable
the variable that’s manipulated
Correlation
co-occurrence of variables (NOT CAUSATION!!)
Causation
functional relationship between variables
3 components of Behavioral Experiments
1) the dependent variable is the objectively measured target behavior
2) falsifiable hypothesis (has the ability to be proven wrong)
3) manipulation of the ind var (turning it on and off)
Self-report
asks the individ if they recall having engaged in the behavior (can only be used if the reports are empirically validated (provide useful and accurate info abt target behavior))
Benefits of self-report
IF reports are empirically validated, it can be used to provide accurate and useful info about the target behavior
Drawbacks of self-report
people have a bad memory, social desirability bias (people want to be liked), people want to be good patients (good subject effect), people are swayed by incentives
Direct observation
behavior is recorded as it occurs, or a lasting product of the behavior is recorded after
Benefits of direct observation
doesn’t rely on memory, easier to ensure data collection is unbiased, behavioral definitions and interobserver agreement (IOA) provides believability
Behavioral definition
precise specification of the topography (physical form) of the target behavior so observers can reliably and objectively identify instances and non-instances
*requires SOCIAL VALIDITY and interobserver agreement (IOA) to test its objectivity
social validity
the consumer of the intervention or an expert approves the behavioral definition as accurately reflecting the behavior of interest
Interobserver agreement (IOA)
two independent people use the behavioral definition to make observations. If their data is the same, the definition is good
IOA equation
IOA = (Agreements/Agreements + Disagreements) x 100
IOA
an IOA lower than 90% is unacceptable and requires a redefinition
IOA increases believability, doesn’t assess reliability or test accuracy
Frequency
the response count/time or opportunity to respond
Latency
the interval of time between the opportunity to respond and the actual response
Duration
the interval of time between the start and end of the behavior
Magnitude
force or intensity of a behavior
4 Direct-Observation Methods
1) outcome recording
2) event recording
3) interval recording
4) duration recording
Outcome recording
observers record PRODUCTS of the behavior rather than the behavior itself (alleviates issues of cost and reactivity (the subject changes behavior bc they know they’re being watched))
Event recording
each instance of behavior is recorded at the moment it occurs (useful for recording FREQUENCY AND MAGNITUDE of behavior)
*only used when the behavior’s duration is stable
Interval recording
measures the frequency of behavior (use when duration of behavior fluctuates)
Whole-interval recording
record whether or not a behavior occurs in several contiguous (back-to-back) time intervals (behavior must occur throughout the ENTIRE interval in order to be a positive interval)
Partial-interval recording
direct observation of whether or not behavior occurs (at least ONE TIME) over several contiguous (back-to-back) intervals of a brief and fixed duration
Duration recording
used to measure latency or duration of a target behavior (ex. races, fulfilling orders)
Diagnosis
is a PREDICTION of your behavior (NOT THERAPY)
