ch.4 doing behaviour modification research

list the 6 common research designs

• reversal-replication

• changing-criterion

• alternating-treatments

• multiple-baseline-across-behaviours

• bultiple-baseline-across-situations

• multiple-baseline-across-people

phases of replication-reversal (ABAB design)

• baseline phase A

• treatment phase B

• reversal phase A

• replication of treatment phase B

baseline phase A

data is collected on occurrence of target behaviour in absence of treatment

treatment phase B

data is collected on occurrence of target behaviour during treatment phase

reversal phase A

data is collected during a return to baseline phase

replication of treatment phase B

data is collected during a replication of treatment phase

ethical considerations of ABAB design

will not reverse treatment if it is deemed unethical to have client regress after a treatment

why use multiple baseline designs instead of ABAB

more ethical, can demonstrate the effectiveness of a treatment without reversing to baseline conditions

function of multiple baseline designs

• single subject design

• staggers introductions across subjects, settings or behaviours

• baselines act as controls to demonstrate changes when intervention is applied

multiple baseline across behaviours

treatment is staggered across one individual, and several behaviours (ideally 3)

disadvantages of multiple baselines across behaviours

• all 3 treatment behaviours must be an independent variable

• we may not find two other suitable behaviours

• may not be enough observers to gather data

multiple baseline across situations

treatment is staggered across one individual and one behaviour AND several situations

disadvantages of multiple baseline across situations

• must be independent variables to conclude treatment was responsible for a single behaviour

• not enough observers

• lack of experimental control

multiple baseline across people

when a treatment is introduced in sequence to multiple people for a specific behaviour

disadvantages with multiple baseline across people

• first person to receive treatment may model desirable behaviour and consequentially improve peers

• difficult to find two or more individuals with the exact same problem

• may need a lot of observers

advantages of multiple baseline across people

strong internal and external validity leads to the application of other individuals

changing criterion design

when successive changes in behavioural criterion determine the individual’s behaviour

process of changing criterion design

adding an additional amount of treatment successively each treatment phase, successfully improving the baseline level

purpose of alternating treatments (multielement design)

to compare the effects of different treatments for a single behaviour of one individual allows us to identify the independent variable

6 guidelines that maximize confidence of the change in dependent variable

• treatment has been replicated several times

• fewer overlapping points between baseline and treatment

• effect is observed after treatment

• treatment effect is large compared to baseline

• treatment procedure is precisely specified

• response measures are reliable

• findings are consistent with existing data and accepted behavioural therapy

3 levels of social validity

• importance of target behaviours for client and society

• acceptability of procedures to client

• satisfaction of clients with results