Displaying and Interpreting Behavioral Data Flashcards
- Medium with which the behavior analyst works.
- Results of measurement.
- Empirical basis for decision-making.
- It is difficult to assess what is happening with the target you are trying to measure if you only use raw ______; this is why ABA uses graphs.
Data
- Visual format for displaying data.
- Reveals relations between a series of measurements and relevant variables.
- Helps people make sense of quantitative information.
- How behavior analysts organize, store, interpret, and communicate the results of our work.
Graphs
Three (3) Purposes of Graphs: CAID
- Communicate: Communicates our data.
- Assess: Helps us to assess data correctly.
- IV/DV: Shows how the DV and IV are related to each other.
- ) Gives you an immediate picture of an individual’s behavior.
- ) Allows you to explore interesting variations in behavior as they are occurring.
- ) Acts as a judgmental aid to help you interpret the results of a study or treatment.
- ) Acts as a conservative method for determining the significance of behavior change, because a behavior change that is statistically significant may not look impressive on a graph.
- ) Allows for an independent judgement and evaluation of the data.
5 Benefits of Graphs
5 Types of ABA Graphs: LBCSS
- Line Graph
- Bar Graph
- Cumulative Record
- Scatter Plot
- Standard Celeration Chart
AKA: Arithmetic Charts; Add-Subtract Charts
- Graphs in which the distance between any 2 consecutive points on BOTH THE X-AXIS AND Y-AXIS are always the same.
- All intervals are the same size.
Line graphs, scatter plots, bar graphs, and cumulative records are: _________ ____________.
Equal-Interval Graphs
Logarithmic scales, including semi-logarithmic scales, one of which is the standard celeration chart, look at behavior through proportionate or relative change.
They are examples of: _________ _________ ______.
Non-Equal Interval Graphs
AKA: Frequency Polygons
- Most common used graphs in ABA.
- Based on the CARTESIAN PLANE.
- Each point on _____ _______ shows the level of some quantifiable dimension of the DV in relation to the IV in effect when the data was recorded.
Line Graphs
- 2-dimensional area formed by 2 perpendicular lines that intersect.
Cartesian Plane
Comparing data points lets us examine:
LEVEL, TREND, and VARIABILITY
Use _______ _________ when you want your data to effectively communicate the following relevant quantitative relations:
- Data that can be scaled along some dimension, such as time or the order of responses in a sequence.
Line Graphs
Seven (7) Parts of A Line Graph
- Horizontal Axis (X-Axis or Abscissa) (Line Left _ Right)
- Vertical Axis (Y-Axis or Ordinate) (Line Up | Down)
- Condition Change Lines
- Condition Labels
- Data Points
- Data Path
- Figure Caption
AKA: X-Axis or Abscissa (Line Left _ Right)
- Represents passage of time and the presence, absence, or value of the IV.
- Left to right passing of time in equal intervals.
- Tic marks are placed on this with equal spacing between them.
- Utilizing a scale break (= or //) to represent discontinuities in time (times was not taken due to some reason)
Horizontal Axis
AKA: Y-Axis or Ordinate (Line Up | Down)
- Represents the full range of values of the DV (i.e., quantifiable aspect of the target behavior).
- On an equal-interval graph, the scaling of this axis is really important to see changes in the level, trend, and variability in the data.
Vertical Axis
Intersection of the horizontal and vertical axis.
- Usually represents the zero value of the DV.
- Should be marked at zero.
Origin
The vertical lines drawn upward from the x-axis to show points in time at which changes in the IV occurred.
Solid Lines = Major Changes
Dashed Lines = Minor Changes
Condition Change Lines
A label, written at the top and parallel to the x-axis, that describes the experimental conditions in effect during each phase of research.
Condition Labels
Has 2 meanings:
- A quantifiable measure of the target behavior recorded during a given observation period.
- The time and/or experimental conditions under which that particular measurement was conducted.
Data Points