Week 2 Flashcards by Emily Tucker

ABA measures socially significant behaviors to

help determine which behaviors need to be changed

detect and compare the effects of various interventions on behaviors targeted for change

evaluate the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of behavior changes

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three indicators of trustworthy measurement

validity, accuracy, reliability

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Validity

measurement yields data directly relevant to the phenomenon measured and to the reason(s) for measuring it

Determining the validity by this basic question:
- was a relevant dimension of the behavior that is the focus of the investigation measured directly and legitimately?

a direct measure of the actual behavior of interest will always possess more validity than an indirect measure

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measurement yields data directly relevant to the phenomenon measured and to the reason(s) for measuring it

Validity

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Validity: valid measurement requires three equally important elements…

measuring directly a socially significant target behavior
measuring a dimension (e.g. rate, duration) of the target behavior relevant to the question or concern about the behavior
ensuring that the data are representative of the behavior’s occurrence under conditions and during times that are most relevant to the question or concern about the behavior.

when any of these elements are lacking the validity of the resultant data is compromised.

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Accuracy

the extent to which the observed value (i.e., the quantitative label produced by measuring an event) match the true value of the event

measurement is accurate to the degree that it corresponds to the true value of the thing measured

Measurement bias

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the extent to which the observed value (i.e., the quantitative label produced by measuring an event) match the true value of the event

accuracy

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measurement bias (accuracy)

refers to a nonrandom measurement error - that an error in measurement that is likely to be in one direction

a random measurement error is just as likely to overestimate the true value of an event as it is to underestimate it

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refers to a nonrandom measurement error - that an error in measurement that is likely to be in one direction

a random measurement error is just as likely to overestimate the true value of an event as it is to underestimate it

measurement bias (accuracy)

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Reliability

the consistency of measurement, specifically, the extent to which repeated measurement of the same event yields the same value

reliable measurement is consistent measurement

the more observed value from repeated measurement of the same event differ from one another, the less the reliability

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the consistency of measurement, specifically, the extent to which repeated measurement of the same event yields the same value

reliability

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reliable measurement is ________ measurement

consistent

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Behavioral measurement should provide _______data for evaluating behavior change and ______ research and treatment decision

legitimate, guiding

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data of the highest quality are produced by _____, ______, and _____ measurement

valid, accurate, reliable

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Threats to Valid Measurement

measurement is indirect

wrong dimension of the target behavior is measured

when measurement is conducted in such a way that the data it produces are an artifact of the actual events

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Threats to Valid Measurement: Indirect Measurement

occurs when the researcher or practitioner measures a proxy, or stand-in, for the actual behavior of interest

e.g. student’s response on a questionnaire designed to measure his social skills is indirect measure

provides secondhand information that requires the researcher or practitioner to make inferences about the relationship between the event that was measured and the actual behavior of interest

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occurs when the researcher or practitioner measures a proxy, or stand-in, for the actual behavior of interest

Threats to Valid Measurement: Indirect Measurement

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direct measurement

the behavior measured is exactly the same as the behavior that is the focus of the investigation or behavior change program

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the behavior measured is exactly the same as the behavior that is the focus of the investigation or behavior change program

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direct measurement

Threats to Validity: Measuring the Wrong Dimension of the Target Behavior

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the validity of measurement is threatened more often by measuring the wrong dimension of the behavior that it is by indirect measurement

e.g. ruler good for depth of water, not temp of water (wrong dimension)

the validity of measurement is threatened more often by measuring the wrong dimension of the behavior that it is by indirect measurement

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Threats to Validity: Measuring the Wrong Dimension of the Target Behavior

Threats to Validity: Measurement Artifact

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when data gives an unwarranted or misleading picture of the behavior because of the way measurement was conducted

appears to exist because of the way it is measured

when data gives an unwarranted or misleading picture of the behavior because of the way measurement was conducted

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Threats to Validity: Measurement Artifact

Common causes of artifact:

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discontinuous measurement
poorly scheduled measurement periods
using insensitive or limiting measurement scales

A data set produced by _________ ________-- no matter how accurate and reliable--may be an artifact of the measurement system rather than accurate portrayal of behavioral events.

discontinuous measurement

any form of measurement in which some instances of the response classes of interest may not be detected whole interval partial interval momentary time sample

any form of measurement in which some instances of the response classes of interest may not be detected

discontinuous measurement

continuous measurement

measurement that detects all instances of the target behavior during the observation period

Continuous measurement

Ideally, ___ occurrences of the behavior of interest should be recorded

all

poorly scheduled measurement periods

the observation schedule should be standardized to provide an equal opportunity for the occurrence or nonoccurrence of the behavior across sessions and consistent environmental conditions from one observation session to the next. When neither of these requirements is met, the resultant data may not represent actual events and therefore be invalid. e.g. measuring students being on task first 5 minutes of each day's 20 minute activity may yield data that make on-task behavior appear higher than it is.

Threats to Accurate and Reliable Measurement

mainly human error 1. poorly designed measurement system 2. inadequate observer training 3. expectations about what the data should reveal

observer expectation

to minimize measurement bias, use a naïve observer who is unaware of the study's purpose and/or the experimental conditions in effect

observer reactivityi

measurement error resulting from an observer's awareness that others are evaluating the data they report

Measurement is accurate when the _______ values match the ____ values of the event

observed, true

Accuracy assessments serve four inter-related purposes

1. to determine whether the data are good enough to serve as the basis for making experimental or treatment decisions 2. to enable the discovery and correction of specific instances of measurement error 3. to reveal consistent patterns of measurement error, which can lead to calibration of the measurement system 4. to assure consumers the data are accurate

Assessing the reliability of measurement

measurement is reliable when it yields the same values across repeated measures of the same event reliability is established when the same observer measures the same data set repeatedly - the more frequently a consistent pattern of observation is produced, the more reliable the measurement

measurement is reliable when it yields the same values across ______ measures of the same event

repeated

the more _________ a consistent pattern of observation is produced, the more reliable the measurement

frequently

interobserver agreement (IOA)

the degree to which two or more independent observers report the same observed values after measuring the same events the most commonly used indicator of measurement quality in aba

the degree to which two or more independent observers report the same observed values after measuring the same events

interobserver agreement (IOA)

benefits of IOA

can function as a basis for determining the competence of new observers can detect observer drift increases confidence that the definition of the target behavior was clear and unambiguous and the measurement code and system not too difficult increases confidence that variability in the data is not a function of which observers happened to be on duty for any given session

How often and when should IOA be obtained?

obtained for between 25% and 33% of sessions

for what variables should IOA be obtained and reported?

researchers should obtain and report IOA at the same levels at which they report and discuss the results of their study

which method of calculating IOA should be used?

select IOA method(s) best suited to the measurement system and resulting data set

What are acceptable levels of IOA?

The usual convention is to expect no less than 80% agreement

Week 2 Flashcards

(46 cards)