Unit 4 Flashcards
Hallmark of the Science of Behavior Analysis
Visual Analysis of Graphical Displays of Data
Visual analysis via graphs provides
Rapid access to information that may be hidden in a data table or list of numbers
Visual analysis via graphs as a process, replaces
The use of most aspects of statistical analysis
Data
The quantification of a measurable phenomenon
The IV can be
A point in time and/or some other environmental variable
Visual Analysis is
A systematic visual examination of data
Two Basic Steps of Visual Analysis
1 - Evaluate the general characteristics of the entire display
2 - Inspect and analyze specific data
Evaluate the general characteristics of the entire data display
Display type, range and continuity of each axis, variables under consideration, etc.
Inspect and analyze specific data
Evaluate data trend, level, and variability within and across phases
Typically, data are presented as
Repeated measurement over time
The purpose of visual analysis
To evaluate the possible effect of specific environmental variables on the target behavior
The purpose of visual analysis answers two basic questions:
1 - Was there a meaningful change in behavior?
2 - To what extent can the change in behavior (the DV) be attributed to a specific environmental change (IV)
Visual analysis has also been termed
Criterion by inspection
Visual analysis is the _____ of _____ and ____
The cornerstone of behavior analytic research and practice
Three types of data displays
-Data embedded in text
-Data presented in a table
-Graphical display
Graph is defined as
Data display that provides visual representations of relationship(s) between a series of measurements and relevant variables
A graph is also known as
A chart
Tables and data embedded within a text may be used as
Adjuncts to graph
Some Benefits of Using Graphs
-Provide immediate access to an ongoing visual record of behavior
-Promote continuous evaluation
-Unexpected variants in data can lead to more complete analysis
-Aid in judgment and interpretation of data more quickly and with less training than required by statistical evaluation
Visual analysis via graphs tends to be more ____ than statistical analysis
Conservative
Who can benefit from reviewing data presented in a graph?
The person whose behavior is measured on the graph, the data collectors, the behavior analyst
Types of Graphs in ABA
-Equal-interval line graph
-Cumulative records
-Bar graph
-Semi-logarithmic graphs (e.g., standard Celeration chart)
What is another name for a bar graph?
Histogram
Cumulative Record
Graphic display of cumulative number of responses across time
Bar graph
Graphic display for summarizing categorical data
Celeration (Semi-Log) Chart
Graphic display of responses across time that includes a logarithmic y-axis
Equal-Interval Line Graph
Data display that uses data points connected by lines to provide visual representations of relationship(s) between variables
An equal-interval line graph is also known as
Line graph, simple line graph, frequency polygon
A point on a simple line graph represents
A specific relationship between the two variables measured along each axis line
Each point on the y-axis represents
A quantifiable amount of behavior
Each point on the x-axis represents
A point in time or some other environmental variable
The most commonly used format for charting ABA data
Equal-interval line graphs
Parts of an equal-interval line graph
-Horizontal x-axis
-Vertical y-axis
-Axis labels
-Condition and phase change lines
-Condition and phase change labels
-Data Points
-The data path
-Figure legend
Vertical axis has a ____ ratio to the horizontal axis because ____
2:3 ratio because it allows for a better display of Variability and data distortion is limited
Benefit/purpose of data points/path clear
Clarity in data/directionality
Benefit/purpose of figure caption
Conveys overall graph meaning
Figure caption is also known as
Legend
X-Axis is also known as
The abscissa
The x-axis is sometimes based on
A variable other than time
The Y-Axis is also known as
The ordinate
Behavior rates are best expressed as ___, rather than ____
Best expressed as a function of whole-time units, rather than using nonstandard units (e.g. per hour, per minute, not per class or per session)
For reduction targets, y-axis range:
1.5-2.0x the highest measured baseline value
If the data path spikes above the upper range of the y-axis
-Re-chart your data with a new y-axis
-Run path to the top of the graph and put the outlying value next to that line segment
Ranges for acquisition ranges
No convention exists. Depends on the specific behavior being charted. Usually set the maximum above the learning goal (25-33%)
The y-axis to x-axis ratio should be between
2:3 and 5:8
Data Point
A point in the graph that represents a specific relationship between the two variables measured along each axis line
Each data point is an individual measured value of
The target behavior (DV) at a given point in time
Data path
A series of straight lines connecting each successive data point within a phase or condition
The data path represents
The relationship between the IV and the DV
Each line in the data path represents
An estimate of the behavior
The primary focus for analysis and interpretation
Data path
The more data points collected, the more…
Confidence that can be placed in the story of the behavior depicted in the data path.
Figure legend
Concise statement that provides information about the graph
Converting to common units
Data on dimensional quantities are often collected during unequal periods of observation and must be converted into standard units
Descriptive statistics
Values that summarize a data set
Use of descriptive statistics
-With groups or with repeated measures of an individual
-To complement the visual analysis of graphs
Two types of descriptive statistics
-Central tendency of data
-Spread of data
Central tendency of data
-Mean
-Median
-Mode
Spread of data
-Range
-Variation
-Standard deviation
Mean
Average value of a data set
Median
Middle data point in an ordered data set
Mode
Data value that occurs most often in a data set
In visual analysis, we most often use the ____ to analyze our data
Mean
When analyzing a graph visually, we must look at what four characteristics of the data plotted on the chart?
Level
Variability
Trend
Number of data points
Level
The mean value of a set of data points, usually across an entire condition or phase
The level line is always
A flat horizontal line drawn through a set of data points
Typically on the mean
A visual inspection of a shift in level can allow you to
Evaluate the effect of the change in the independent variable
Trend
Overall direction of the data path through a set of data points
Trend is described in terms of
The overall direction of a data path (increasing, decreasing, no trend). Never “first increasing then decreasing.”
Trend line
Straight line through graphically displayed data indicating the overall direction and slope of the data path
Variability
The extent to which measures of behavior under the same environmental conditions diverge from one another
Variability is best determined around
A central reference - the trend line
