Experimental Design and Research Methods Flashcards

Which experimental design involves repeatedly alternating between baseline and treatment conditions to demonstrate experimental control?

Answer: Reversal (ABAB) design

The reversal (ABAB) design demonstrates experimental control by withdrawing and reinstating treatment and observing corresponding behavior changes.

In a multiple baseline design across behaviors, a functional relation is demonstrated when:

Answer: Behavior changes only when the intervention is introduced to each successive behavior

Staggered introduction of the intervention to each behavior, with change occurring only at that point, demonstrates experimental control in a multiple baseline design.

The alternating treatments design (ATD) is most useful for comparing:

Answer: Two or more treatments within the same participant

The ATD rapidly alternates two or more conditions within the same participant, allowing direct comparison of treatment effects.

In single-subject research, 'experimental control' is demonstrated when:

Answer: Behavior changes reliably correspond to changes in the independent variable

Experimental control means that the independent variable (treatment) is the reason for observed behavior change, shown through systematic replication.

A changing criterion design is particularly well suited for:

Answer: Shaping behavior toward a terminal goal in graduated steps

The changing criterion design demonstrates control by requiring behavior to match each successively more stringent criterion before advancing.

Baseline logic in single-subject research serves to:

Answer: Predict what behavior would have been without treatment

Baseline data establish a prediction of future behavior in the absence of treatment, against which intervention effects are compared.