Experimental Design Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and their definitions related to experimental design.

Experimental Design

The type of sequence of conditions in a study to draw conclusions.

External Validity

The degree to which a study’s findings have generality.

Extraneous Variable

Any aspect of the experimental setting that must be held constant.

Internal Validity

The extent to which the only change in behavior is because of the Independent variable.

Parametric Analysis

Experiment to determine the effects of different amounts of the independent variable.

Practice Effects

Improvements based on opportunity to perform.

Prediction

A statement of the predicted outcome.

Research Question

What the researcher seeks to learn.

Replication

Repeating conditions in an experiment to determine effects.

Single Case Design

A variety of experimental designs that use baseline logic.

Stable Baseline

Data that is not trending upward or downward.

Steady State Responding

A pattern of responding with little variation.

Steady State Strategy

Repeatedly implementing a condition to reduce extraneous variables.

Variable Baseline

Data points that do not consistently fall within a narrow range.

Verification

Demonstration that prior baseline trends would remain if not for the independent variable.

A-B-A Design

Experimental Design with baseline- intervention- baseline.

A-B-A-B Design

Experimental Design with baseline- intervention-baseline-intervention.

Adapted alternating treatment design

A variation of a multielement design to compare instructional procedures.

B-A-B Design

Three phase design that begins with the treatment condition.

Concurrent chains design

Experimental design where participants choose between options based on distinct cues and reinforcement.

DRI/DRA reversal technique

Experimental technique that demonstrates the effects of reinforcement.

Irreversibility

The prior level of responding cannot be reproduced.

Multielement design

Experimental design to compare two or more conditions.

Multiple treatment interference

Effects of one treatment confounded by another.

Multiple treatment reversal design

Using reversal logic to compare the effects of 2 or more conditions.

Noncontingent reinforcement reversal technique

Experimental control technique that uses NCR as a control.

Reversal design

Experimental design that alternates conditions to verify previous effects.

Sequence effects

The subjects behavior is a result of exposure to the prior condition.

Withdrawal design

Synonymous with a A-B-A-B design.

Changing Criterion Design

Experimental Design with changing successive criteria for reinforcement or punishment.

Delayed Multiple baseline design

Variation where baseline and/or intervention starts and other legs are staggered.

Multiple baseline across behaviors

Multiple baseline design applied to different behaviors of the same subject.

Multiple baseline across settings

Multiple baseline design applied to different locations.

Multiple baseline across subjects

Multiple baseline design applied to different participants.

Multiple baseline design

Experimental design where baseline data are recorded and intervention is implemented in a staggered manner.

Multiple probe design

Variation of a multiple baseline with intermittent checks.

Nonconcurrent multiple baseline design

A series of A-B designs conducted in different points of time.

Range bound changing criterion design

A variation of the changing criterion design where each subphase has an upper and lower criterion.