Quiz 7b (Ch. 8b) Flashcards
Sidman attacks the statistical approach by questioning whether any experimental results are ever the results of chance. What is Sidman’s concern with the use of the term chance to explain variability and what alternative does he present?
Unless you believe that behavior is chaotic and is not lawful, chance refers to the effects of unknown or uncontrolled variables. It is the job of a Scientist to discover the important variable in a situation, and if they are not the object of study to control them. Only by controlling important variables is it possible to exercise sufficient experimental control to determine the relationships between the environment and behavior. You may also discover that some of the variables you need to control are more important than the one you set out to investigate.
What do we mean when we ask whether data are reliable?
If repeated, will the experiment yield the same results?
What is the generality of a behavioral phenomenon?
The range of conditions under which the phenomena will occur. It specifies the boundary conditions of the effect.
List and define the four types of generality that Sidman discusses
- Intra-species generality: How representative the results of an experiment with an organism of one species will relate to another organism of the same species?
- Inter-species generality: How well the results of an experiment with an organism of one species generalize to an organism of another species? These studies involve setting the parameters consist with the known differences between the species.
- Generality of Variable: We need to determine the boundary conditions of a phenomenon. Does the IV of interest have the same effect if we alter other variables? What variables are important for obtaining the results? Under what range of magnitude of the variable will the effect hold?
- Generality of Process: Does a process that involves the interaction of several basic principles generalize across species, etc. An example of a process would be discrimination learning. It involves the interaction between reinforcement and extinction. Does the discrimination process work the same way for behaviors learned by negative reinforcement as it does for behaviors learned through positive reinforcement?
Define intrasubject replication
Replication with the same subject
Define inter-subject replication
Replication with a different subject
What is the main purpose of systematic replication?
To determine the level of generality of a particular finding.
What is the baseline method of systematic replication?
You use the result of a previous study as the baseline for conducting further research.
What is a probe measure and what is it useful for?
Gets a snapshot of some aspect of a bx change. You might test for generalization of a treatment by determining if the effect occurs with a different person or in a different situation. You might also vary the level of the treatment for a short period to see if the bx change intensifies. It involves making a brief change in a variable to determine the effect. You can also introduce new situations to probe for generalization.
What type of systematic replication produces the greatest confidence in our findings?
The less likely one would predict the effect the more valuable the replication. When a scientist predicts something nobody believes could be true, and it proves true the increase in the level of confidence is great.
If you replicated a finding several times with one subject but obtained a different finding with another subject, which stood up to intrasubject replication, what are three possible reasons for obtaining different results?
- A confounding variable is present.
- A different hx responsible for the different results
- The experimenter has not yet determined the shape of the functional relations and may be hitting the 2 different subjects at a different point on the curve.
What source of error is not present in intrasubject replication?
Inter-subject, or between subject, variability
If you are using intrasubject replication, what are two ways to increase the sensitivity of your study?
- By controlling as many variables as possible.
- Also increase the strength of your treatment.
Why is it important to perform experiments to determine the conditions under which a phenomenon occurs?
Increases the generality of a phenomena. Helps to understand the interrelationship of variables and allows us to effectively use the phenomenon as a baseline to study other variables.
What must be done to increase experimental control?
We must identify, isolate, and control sources of variability.
What should be assumed when a large degree of variability is observed in the data? How does this result represent an opportunity?
If there is a large degree of variability one should assume that there is a powerful uncontrolled variable present. This represents an opportunity to identify this variable and control it. Controlling this variable will result in better experimental control and in better understanding of the variables and factors that have a large effect on the behavior you are studying.
