Intro to Research Methods Flashcards
What are the primary characteristics of single-subject design?
- Measurement
- Experimental comparison
- Replication
- Data analysis/visual inspection
What are the strengths of single-subject design?
- Ongoing feedback to practitioner and client
- Flexibility
- Can home in on outliers
- Can modify procedures as it goes
- Easy visual analysis
- Individualized
- Can generalize
What are the limitations of single-subject design?
- Lots of data points
- Some concerns about generalizability
What are the origins of single-subject design?=
- Most early psychologists used single-subject designs (Wundt and Ebbinghaus)
- Pavlov (physiologist) used it as well
- Then Thorndike and many others
- Statistical methods were discovered. This allowed interrelationships between variables to be obtained without experimental manipulation
Who are the key people in developing single-subject research?
- Key people in developing single-subject research design were conducting research in EAB
- Included Ivan Pavlov, Edward Thorndike, and B.F. Skinner
- Eventually, JEAB was established so their research designs could be published
- Later, Paul Fuller, Sidney Bijou, and many others furthered previous studies in applied settings, developing ABA
- JABA later came
What are Sidman (1960)’s 5 main reasons for conducting experiments? Give strengths and limitations of each
- Evaluate a hypothesis
- Indulge scientific curiosity
- Test a new method or technique
- Establish the existence of a behavioral phenomenon
- Explore conditions under which a phenomenon occurs
What are the strengths and limitations of conducting an experiment to evaluate a hypothesis?
Strengths:
-Outcome contributes to body of science
-Traditional
-Easily understood and accepted by other professionals
Helps guide experiment
Limitations:
-Experimenters may be looking for a specific result and underrate the role of accidental discoveries
What are the strengths and limitations of conducting an experiment to indulge scientific curiosity?
Strengths: -Once an answer is found, more questions follow -No bias toward specific outcome Limitations: -Can lack experimental control -Various answers may be overlooked -Hard to have a planned research agenda
What are the strengths and limitations of conducting an experiment to test a new method or technique?
Strengths: -Use old methods to create new ones -Tools are needed to study behavior -New techniques can lead to new data -New applications can be made of old techniques Limitations: -Old techniques can still be applicable -May only be judged by success in controlling behavior -Not seen as important
What are the strengths and limitations of conducting an experiment to establish the existence of a behavioral phenomenon?
Strengths: -Apply it to applied settings -Establish a basis for future researchers -Can use animals -Can advance other disciplines Limitations: -Bx in natural environment may be hard to replicate in the lab -Can be dismissed by publishers -Observer bias -Time consuming
What are the strengths and limitations of conducting an experiment to explore conditions under which a phenomenon occurs?
Strengths: -Establishes more experimental control -Provide solutions to other researchers -Discovery of new principles Limitations: -May have little social validity -Hard to identify the correct variable -May just confirm what is already known
