Topic 3: Graphing & Research Designs Flashcards
Graph
a visual representation of the occurrence of behavior over time
Abscissa
the horizontal axis (x-axis) on a graph, shows the units of time
Ordinate
the vertical axis (y-axis) on a graph, shows the level of behavior
Baseline
the condition or phase in which no treatment is implemented
Research Design
in behavior modification, a research design specifies the timing of the baseline and treatment phases for one or more people in an attempt to demonstrate a functional relationship between the treatment and the behavior
Independent Variable
the environmental event that is manipulated to influence the dependent variable
Dependent Variable
the target behavior that is measured and that changes when the independent variable is introduced
Functional Relationship
a relationship between a behavior and an environmental event in which the occurrence of the behavior is controlled by the occurrence of the environmental event
it is demonstrated in research design by manipulating the environmental event and showing that the behavior changes if and only if the environmental event occurs
A-B Design
a research design consisting of a baseline and a treatment phase
the A-B design is not a true experimental design because the treatment condition is not replicated
it is used mostly to document behavior change in clinical practice
A-B-A-B Reversal Design
a research design consisting of a baseline and treatment phase followed by withdrawal of treatment (the second baseline) and a second implementation of the treatment
Multiple-Baseline-Across-Subjects Design
a research design in which there is a baseline and treatment phase for two or more people exhibiting the same target behavior
the implementation of treatment is staggered across time for each subject
the same treatment is used with each subject
Multiple-Baseline-Across-Behaviors Design
a research design in which there is a baseline and a treatment phase for two or more behaviors of the same person
the implementation of treatment is staggered across time for each of the behaviors
the same treatment is implemented for each behavior
Multiple-Baseline-Across-Settings Design
a research design in which there is a baseline and treatment phase for the same behavior of the same subject in two or more different settings
treatment is staggered across time in each of the settings
the same treatment is used in each of the settings
Alternating-Treatments Designs (ATD)
a research design in which baseline and treatment conditions (or two treatment conditions) are conducted in rapid succession, typically on alternating days or sessions
baseline and treatment phases can be compared with each other within the same time period
Changing-Criterion Design
a research design in which a number of different criterion (goals) levels are set for the behavior during the treatment
when the behavior increases (or decreases) to the criterion level each time that the criterion change, a functional relationship is established between the treatment and the target behavior
What are the components of a line graph?
- x-axis and y-axis lines
- labels for x-axis and y-axis (time vs. target behavior dimension) and units (e.g. days vs. %)
- numbers on x-axis and y-axis
- data points and lines connecting them
- phase lines
- phase labels (e.g. baseline, treatment, follow-up)
What are the dos and don’ts of creating a line graph?
do include client name or initials, behaviors, or settings in research with multiple baseline (place in lower-right corner)
do use a data summary (e.g. table) to go from the raw data in data sheets to a graph
don’t put different target behaviors (or multiple measures of one target behavior) on the same graph
don’t use a legend to indicate phases
don’t use gridlines
don’t add a title
don’t use gray for axes and units, use black
don’t connect baseline phase curve to treatment phase curve
What is an independent variable?
the treatment applied to the client
e.g. applying punishment by scolding child
What is a dependent variable?
target behavior measure
e.g. child raising voice to call for parent
What is a confounding (or extraneous) variable?
another factor that may affect behavior that is not controlled for (avoid this)
e.g. when applying punishment to a child, a parent also pays attention to them
What is a functional relationship?
treatment procedure regularly causes a change in the target behavior, requires two criteria:
- IV-DV relationship: changing IV causes change in DV
- replication: consistent pattern of results
What is an A-B design?
has one baseline phase (A) and one treatment phase (B)
in baseline phase, collect at least three data points that do not show a trend
What are the pros and cons of A-B design?
pros: satisfactory for self-management
cons: not a true research design, lacks replications so it cannot ascertain cause and effect
What is an A-B-A-B (reversal) design?
has two baseline phases and two treatment phases
examines same behavior, in the same client, in the same setting
can be varied to include more than one kind of treatment
What are the pros and cons of the A-B-A-B design?
pros: can establish cause and effect
cons: it may be unethical to withdraw a beneficial intervention, behavior may not revert back in second baseline
What are the characteristics of multiple-baseline designs?
baselines may vary in length before treatment begins
intervention phase is staggered across separate designs
can provide evidence that treatment is effective
What are multiple baseline across subjects designs?
apply treatment to several different people
What are multiple baseline across behaviors designs?
apply treatment to several different target behaviors
What are multiple baseline across settings designs?
apply treatment in several different settings
What are the pros and cons of multiple-baseline designs?
pros: has no reversals so it’s good for behaviors that do not revert, if behavior change occurs when the B starts in each condition we can conclude it was the result of the intervention
cons: treatment may spread across subjects, behaviors, or settings during supposed baseline phase
What are alternating treatments (or multielement) designs?
baseline and treatment (or two treatment) phases are applied in rapid succession
extraneous factors that could affect the results (like time of day, therapist administering the treatment, location of treatment, etc.) can be counterbalanced
treatment effects shown by fractionation: consistent vertical separation between treatment curves
What are the pros and cons of alternating treatment designs?
pros: extraneous variables will have less of an effect. evaluates effects of different treatments
cons: treatments may interact with each other
What are changing-criterion designs?
criterion for successful treatment progressively changes (usually become more stringent over time)
uses A-B design, but goal for treatment behavior changes in the treatment phase
What are the pros and cons of a changing-criterion design?
pros: well-suited to behaviors that can be approximated gradually
cons: unsuitable for behaviors that may not change gradually
