lecture 16

Question 1

what are single subjects designs

Answer 1

• experimental designs: looking for cause/effect relationships
• case studies? No, those are descriptive research. Much more carefully designed

Question 2

what are the pros and cons

Answer 2

pros:
1. clinicians can conduct research
2. Flexible
cons:
1. Single subject
2. Lower on external validity
3. Time consuming

Question 3

phases on single subject designs

Answer 3

1. Baseline phase (A)
   - participant is their own control
   ex) arachnophobia
2. Treatment phase (B, C, ect)
   - measurement of manipulation
   ex) systematic desensitization

Question 4

stability in observations

Answer 4

1. Levels of behavior
   -consistent “amount” of behavior
2. Trends in behavior
   -consistent pattern of behavior
   BUT: sometimes observations are unstable: lack of consistency, either level or pattern
   -what can you do? Wait over time, average across measurements

Question 5

changing phases

Answer 5

• at some point you must change from baseline to treatment
• after at least 3 baseline measurements
• once you have a stable level and or trend
• to change or not to change, that is the question: baseline shows improvement trend or treatment needed asap

Question 6

analyzing data

Answer 6

• can’t use regular statistical techniques
• use observations
• tracking of behavior and you’re looking for a change
• describe the changes in behavior

Question 7

ABAB design

Answer 7

• sometimes called a reversal design

- repeating treatment and no treatment phases

Question 8

more complex ABAB designs

Answer 8

• adjusting and or changing treatments
  ex) switching to implosion therapy
• make sure the reversal is still there

Question 9

multiple baseline design

Answer 9

• doesn’t require a reversal
  1. Across subjects
• start treatment at different times
  ex) two patients with the same phobia
  2. Across behaviors
• direct treatment at different behaviors
  ex) heart rate, time spent outside
  3. Across situations
• different treatments for different contexts
  ex) child behavior at home and same treatment for behavior at school

Question 10

changing criterion

Answer 10

• behavior is quantifiable, set “goal” levels

ex) relax and bring your heart rate down

Question 11

alternating treatments

Answer 11

• 2+ treatments alternate every observation

- look for differences in patterns

Question 12

dismantling design

Answer 12

• removing parts of treatment to determine necessity/effectiveness
  ex) insight therapy and systematic desensitization
  ex) operant conditioning

Question 13

weaknesses of designs

Answer 13

1. ABAB:
   a) Treatment is too effective
   b) Withdrawal is unethical ex treatment for depression
2. Multiple baseline:
   a) Difficult to separate behaviors or contexts
   b) individual differences between subjects
3. Changing criterion
   a) could be a general trend in behavior
4. Alternating treatments
   a) only possible if different treatments can be alternated
   - same goes for the dismantling design
   b) not possible for behavior that is learned in stages