Unit 3

Question 2

What are single-case designs also known as?

Answer 2

within-subject replication designs or N=1 designs, time series designs…

Question 3

What is the main characteristic of single-case designs?

Answer 3

successive recording over time of the behavior of a single case (N=1) or a small group before, during and in some cases after the withdrawal of treatment in highly controlled situations

Question 4

Do single-case desings use averaged data from groups?

Answer 4

no

Question 5

What do single-case designs share with experimental designs?

Answer 5

the manipulation of the IV and the control of extraneous variables

Question 6

What does the use of single-case designs represent in the field of clinical psychology?

Answer 6

an alternative approach that adressed some of the problems posed by group designs

Question 7

What are some problems by group design?

Answer 7

• difficulty of finding a relatively large number of individuals with the same characteristics or clinical problem
• ethical issues associated with use of untreated CG or placebos
• use of averaged data that could affect individual resonses to treatement

Question 8

What do the steps in the basic procedure of single-case designs consist of?

Answer 8

• Baseline Phase (Phase A)
• Introduction of Intervention (Phase B)
• Monitoring and Data Collection

Question 9

What 3 parts can Single-case Experimental Designs be divided into?

Answer 9

• Basic model (A - B)
• Reversal (A-B-A, A-B-A-B, B-A-B - multiple intervention designs)
• Non Reversal (Changing criterion, multiple baseline - behavior, subjects, situations)

Question 10

What are the 2 phases of the basic model of the single-case design?

Answer 10

• Phase A (baseline): repeated measures of the DV are taken in the absence of treatment
• Phase B (treatment): measures of the DV still taken - but in presence of intervention or treatment (IV)

Question 11

How is Data collected in the Basic model of the single-case design?

Answer 11

throughout both the baseline and intervention phases, data are collected systematically to measure participants behavior or outcome variable
-> may include direct observation, self-report, measures, physiological assessments or other appropriate measure depending on the nature of the study

Question 12

basic model of the single-case design

What are some possible cofounding variables challenging the internal validity in the basic model of the single-case design?

Answer 12

• history
• maturation
• reacitivtiy to the research situation

Question 13

basic model of the single-case design

How can the threats to internal validity of the A-B design be adressed?

Answer 13

by implementing a reversal:
adding a phase in which the treatment is withdrawn

Question 14

reversal design, design (A-B-A)

What do researchers do in the Reversal designs?

Answer 14

they alternate between baseline phases (A) and treatment phases (B) to assess the impact of the intervention on the participants behavior

-> treatment is introduced after observing the participants behavior during the baseline phase A, treatment is introduced, monitoring any changes in behavior B
-> after treatment phase is completed the intervention is withdrawn and participants behavior is observed again during second baseline phase A

Question 15

reversal design, design (A-B-A-B)

what is the design used for?

Answer 15

to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention or treatment by repeatedly introducing and withdrawing the treatment over different phases
-> consists of four phases

Question 16

reversal design - Design (B-A-B)

What is done in the B-A-B design to verify the effectiveness of the treatment?

Answer 16

treatment is temporarily interrupted and any changes in the behavior under study are checked
-> subsequently the treatment is reintroduced

Question 17

reversal design - Design (B-A-B)

What is the underlying logic to establish the effectiveness of the treatment?

Answer 17

taht its withdrawal should cause a disruption in the level or trend
-> if changes in level/trend of behavior coincide with the phases of withdrawal, empirical evidence to confirm what is expected in the hypothesis

Question 18

reversal design - multiple intervention design

What is a multi-intervention design?

Answer 18

a research approach where multiple interventions or treatments are applied to study their effects on a particular outcome or variable of interest

Question 19

reversal design - multiple intervention design

what may participants receive in this design?

Answer 19

different treatments or interventions sequentially or concurrently
-> allowing researchers to compare the effects of each intervention individually as well as in combination
e.g. A-B-A-C-A and another one A-C-A-B-A

Question 20

What are the main problems with the reversal design in a single-case study?

Answer 20

that it may not provide storng evidence for causality
-> Generalizability: may not be generalizable
-> Ensuring stability of baseline can be challenging
-> Irreversibility: some interventions may have irreversible effects - impossible to return to baseline
-> Ethical considerations: repeatedly withdrawing an effective treatment during reversal phase may pose ethical concerns

Question 21

Reversal design

How can we deal with irreversibility in reversal design?

Answer 21

1. partial reversibility
2. alternative baseline
3. multiple baseline design
4. alternating treatments design

Question 22

reversal design - dealing with irreversibility

What is partial reversibility?

Answer 22

if intervention partially reversible: consider implementing modified version of intervention during reversal phase

Question 23

reversal design - dealing with irreversibility

What is Alternative baseline?

Answer 23

instead of returning to original baseline condition: establish new baseline by introducing different condition that approximates the pre-intervention state as closely as possible

Question 25

# reversal design - dealing with irreversibility What is Alternating treatments design?

Answer 25

instead of relying solely on reversal phase: using an alternating treatment design where different interventions are implemented in a randomized or systematic manner

Question 26

# Non-reversal designs What is the Changing Criterion Design (CCD)?

Answer 26

in CCD, the intervention is implemented gradually across different phases, with each phase featuring a new criterion for the behavior

Question 27

What does the Changing Criterion Design allows researchers to assess?

Answer 27

the effectiveness of the intervention by observing changes in behavior as the criteria for success are systematically modified

Question 28

What are the phases of the Changing Criterion Design (CCD)?

Answer 28

1. Baseline Phase: Behavior is observed and recorded to establish a stable baseline 2. Intervention Phase: target behavior is reinforced according to specific criteria 3. Criterion Change Phase: criteria for target behavior are gradually altered to assess interventions effects under different conditions 4. Maintanence phase: once final criterion is reached, interventions effects are evaluated over time to determine if behavior change is sustained

Question 29

What does the Changing Criterion Design (CCD) provides?

Answer 29

a systematic way to evaluate the impact of interventions on behavior -> allows researchers to draw conclusions about the effectiveness and generalizability of interventions in applied settings

Question 30

# Changing Criterion Design (CCD) What happens, if the desired behavior change is not achieved after one process?

Answer 30

the process can continue with additional intervention phases and criterion changes

Question 31

# Changing Criterion Design (CCD) What is actually carried out in the design?

Answer 31

a progressive application of the treatment which can be considered as a series of A-B designs

Question 32

# Non-reversal designs What are multiple baseline designs?

Answer 32

involves implementing the intervention across multiple behaviors, settings or conditions with staggered start times for each baseline and intervention phase

Question 33

# Non-reversal designs What does the Multiple baseline design allow researcher to?

Answer 33

to assess whether changes in behavior are specifically due to the intervention rather than other factors

Question 34

# Non-reversal designs What can the Mutiple Baseline Design be understood as?

Answer 34

an extenson of A-B designs as they follow this procedure: 1. Multiple Behaviors, Settings or Individuals: interventions applied to multiple targets 2. Staggered Baselines and Interventions: each individual has own baseline phase 3. Monitoring and Intervention 4. comparison across baselines

Question 35

# Non-reversal designs What is the multiple baseline design?

Answer 35

if each behavior is considered separately, we can see how procedure resembles that of A-B design -> phase A is extended for each behavior until the treatment is applied Behavior 1: A B Behavoir 2: A A B Behavior 3 A A A B

Question 36

# Non-reversal designs - multiple baseline design When is the treatment considered to be effective?

Answer 36

when after its application it causes a change in the treated behavior while the other behaviors remain relatively stable

Question 37

# Overview What are the key characteristics of single-case experimental designs and how do they differ from group designs in research methodology?

Answer 37

single case experimental designs focus on individual cases, have repeated measurements, use pre and post experimental measurements and are often used in clinical research

Question 38

# Overview How does ABAB design differ from other single-case experimental designs and what are its advantages and limitations?

Answer 38

as we investigate what happens once the intervention is removed, to see how much of effects will remain without intervention method in a way to better see the depth of the intervention -> limitations of this are the added extraneous variables and the missing situations that we cannot control

Question 39

# Overview What are some common threats to internal validity in single-case experimental designs and how can researcher mitigate these threats?

Answer 39

there are 8. history, maturation, instrumentation, how testing is being done, selection bias, mean regression, social interaction and attrition in the subjects -> can be mitigated by taking into account these threats can occur and taking extra precautions e.g. extra questionnaires to clear out history or to have a baseline

Question 40

# Overview How do researchers determine whether a treatment effect is statistically significant in single-case experimental designs, considering the absence of group level date?

Answer 40

researcher usually employ statistical techniques like the binomial test or the Tau-U test, as well as visual analytical techniques like effect size computations and visual assessment of graphed data -> techniques aid in determining the degree and consistency of change in any single situation

Question 41

# Overview How do researchers address the issues of geralizability or external validity in single-case experimental designs, particularly concerning the applicability of findings to broader populations.

Answer 41

researcher ensure that findings from single-case experimental design can apply to broader populations by conducting multiple studies with different people or situations -> helps confirm the result and make them more widely applicable

Question 42

# Overview What ethical considerations are important to address when conducting single-case experimental research, especially concerning participant well-being and autonomy?

Answer 42

in single-case experiments it is curcial to prioritize the well-being of participants -> getting their permission, protecting privacy, no harm

Question 43

# Overview How do researchers ensure reliability and validity in the measurement of variables within single-case experimental designs, given the focus on individual level data collection and analysis?

Answer 43

researchers maintain reliability by taking repeated measurements over time and using standardized tools -> ensure validity by carefully selecting outcome measures and using multiple methods to assess behavior -> includes systematic observation and checking agreement between observers

Question 44

# Overview Why should we use group designs instead of single-case designs (N=1) when possible?

Answer 44

Because group designs provide stronger evidence and generalizability.

Question 45

# Overview Why is high baseline variability a problem in single-case designs?

Answer 45

Because uncontrolled variability makes it hard to detect treatment effects

Question 46

# Overview Why are single-case designs (N=1) not ideal for institutional treatments?

Answer 46

Because institutions require strong evidence of effectiveness for universal use

Question 47

# overview Why can't single-case designs compare multiple treatments effectively?

Answer 47

Because improvement in one subject doesn’t prove one treatment is better than another