Week 4

Question 1

What are the three levels of scientific understanding?

Answer 1

Description
Prediction
Control

Question 2

Description

Answer 2

level of scientific understanding

systematic observation enables scientists to describe natural phenomena accurately

yields a collection of facts that can be quantified and classified

Question 3

yields a collection of facts that can be quantified and classified

Answer 3

Description

Question 4

prediction

Answer 4

level of scientific understanding

achieved when repeated observation shows two events consistently covary–correlation

can be used to predict the probability that one even will occur based on the presence of the other event

Question 5

can be used to predict the probability that one even will occur based on the presence of the other event

Answer 5

prediction

Question 6

control

Answer 6

level of scientific understanding

highest level of scientific understanding

comes from establishing experimental control

Question 7

comes from establishing experimental control

Answer 7

control

Question 8

behavior is best analyzed by measuring behavior ______ produced by imposed _______ on the environment

Answer 8

change, variations

Question 9

Experimental Control

Answer 9

achieved when predictable change in behavior is produced by the systematic manipulation of the environment

Question 10

achieved when predictable change in behavior is produced by the systematic manipulation of the environment

Answer 10

Experimental Control

Question 11

An analysis of behavior has been achieved when…

Answer 11

a reliable functional relation between the behavior and some aspect of the environment has been demonstrated convincingly

Question 12

internal validity

Answer 12

experimental control

the degree to which an experiment shows that changes in the dependent variable are a function of the independent variable and not the result of uncontrolled or unknown variables

Question 13

experimental control

the degree to which an experiment shows that changes in the dependent variable are a function of the independent variable and not the result of uncontrolled or unknown variables

Answer 13

internal validity

Question 14

confounding variable

Answer 14

uncontrolled variable known or suspected to exert an influence on the dependent variable

experimental control

Question 15

uncontrolled variable known or suspected to exert an influence on the dependent variable

experimental control

Answer 15

confounding variable

Question 16

external validity

Answer 16

experimental control

the degree to which a study’s results are generalizable to other subjects/settings/behaviors

Question 17

experimental control

the degree to which a study’s results are generalizable to other subjects/settings/behaviors

Answer 17

external validity

Question 18

Experimental methods in ABA are guided by two defining features of behavior:

Answer 18

1. behavior is an individual phenomenon

2. behavior is dynamic and continuous

Question 19

Experimental methods in ABA are guided by two assumptions concerning its nature:

Answer 19

1. behavior is determined (determinism is an assumption but ABA loves it)
2. behavioral variability is extrinsic to the organism

Question 20

The components of ABA Experiments

Answer 20

research question
participant
behavior (dependent variable)
setting
measurement system and ongoing visual analysis
intervention (ind variable)
experimental design

Question 21

research question

Answer 21

specifies what the investigator wants the experiment to answer

four types of questions:

1. demonstration: change the behavior of interest?
2. parametric: does more or less of the intervention work better?
3. component: how effective is the intervention when various components are added or subtracted?
4. comparative: does one intervention work better than another?

Question 22

specifies what the investigator wants the experiment to answer

Answer 22

research question

Question 23

participant

Answer 23

experiments in ABA are referred to as single-subject or single-case designs

• does not mean all studies have one subject
• denotes experimental logic that each participant as their own control
• other terms include within-subject design, intrasubject design, and repeated-measures design

Question 24

behavior: dependent variable

Answer 24

the measurable dimensional quantity of the target behavior

-it is so labeled because the experiment is designed to determine whether the behavior is dependent on the independent variable

Question 25

the measurable dimensional quantity of the target behavior

Answer 25

behavior: dependent variable

Question 26

intervention or treatment: independent variable

Answer 26

behavior analysts seek functional relations between behavior change and environmental variables ind variable - sometimes called experimental variable, intervention, or treatment

Question 27

behavior analysts seek functional relations between behavior change and environmental variables

Answer 27

intervention or treatment: independent variable

Question 28

ind variable sometimes called

Answer 28

experimental variable, intervention, or treatment

Question 29

experimental design

Answer 29

refers to the particular arrangement of conditions in a study so that meaningful comparisons of the effects of the presence, absence, or different values of the independent variable can be made can add, remove, increase, decrease, combine across behaviors, settings, or subjects (concerning ind variable) to see what happens

Question 30

At a given point in time in a given setting, an experimenter can make only two basic kinds of independent variable changes:

Answer 30

introduce anew condition or reinstate an old condition

Question 31

steady state responding

Answer 31

a pattern of responding that exhibits relatively little variation in its measured dimensional quantities over a period of time provides the basis for a powerful form of experimental reasoning called baseline logic

Question 32

a pattern of responding that exhibits relatively little variation in its measured dimensional quantities over a period of time provides the basis for a powerful form of experimental reasoning called baseline logic

Answer 32

steady state responding

Question 33

baseline logic

Answer 33

entails three elements (prediction, verification, and replication) each of which depends on an overall experimental approach called steady stat strategy

Question 34

entails three elements (prediction, verification, and replication) each of which depends on an overall experimental approach called steady stat strategy

Answer 34

baseline logic

Question 35

steady state strategy

Answer 35

entails exposing a subject to a given condition while trying to eliminate or control any extraneous influences on the behavior and obtaining a stable pattern of responding before introducing the next condition

Question 36

entails exposing a subject to a given condition while trying to eliminate or control any extraneous influences on the behavior and obtaining a stable pattern of responding before introducing the next condition

Answer 36

steady state strategy

Question 37

Baseline

Answer 37

data collected in the absence of the independent variable serves as a control condition does not necessarily mean the absence of instruction or treatment, only the absence of the independent variable

Question 38

types of baseline data patterns

Answer 38

stable ascending descending variable

Question 39

stable baseline

Answer 39

no evidence of upward or downward trend all measures fall within a small range of values

Question 40

no evidence of upward or downward trend all measures fall within a small range of values

Answer 40

stable baseline

Question 41

ascending baseline

Answer 41

an increasing trend in the behavior over time

Question 42

an increasing trend in the behavior over time

Answer 42

ascending baseline

Question 43

descending baseline

Answer 43

a decreasing trend in the behavior over time

Question 44

a decreasing trend in the behavior over time

Answer 44

descending baseline

Question 45

variable baseline

Answer 45

the data points do not fall within a narrow range of values, nor do they suggest any clear trend

Question 46

the data points do not fall within a narrow range of values, nor do they suggest any clear trend

Answer 46

variable baseline

Question 47

prediction (baseline)

Answer 47

the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement throughout any experimental condition, predictions are made and confirmed until there is reason to believe that the response measure will not change appreciably under the present conditions

Question 48

the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement

Answer 48

prediction (baseline)

Question 49

affirmation of the consequent

Answer 49

it is a true antecedent-consequence (if-A-then-B) statement such as... if A is true, then B is true. B is found to be true. Therefore, A is true.

Question 50

it is a true antecedent-consequence (if-A-then-B) statement such as... if A is true, then B is true. B is found to be true. Therefore, A is true.

Answer 50

affirmation of the consequent

Question 51

verification

Answer 51

increases the probability that a change in behavior was functionally related to the introduction of the independent variable by verifying the original prediction accomplished by showing the prior level of baseline responding would not have changed if the intervention was not implemented

Question 52

increases the probability that a change in behavior was functionally related to the introduction of the independent variable by verifying the original prediction

Answer 52

verification

Question 53

replication (fig 7.5 p 168)

Answer 53

repeating independent variable manipulations conducted previously in the study and obtaining similar outcomes two purposes: - reduces the probability that some factors other than independent variable is responsible for behavior change - demonstrates the reliability of the behavior change

Question 54

repeating independent variable manipulations conducted previously in the study and obtaining similar outcomes

Answer 54

replication