Chapter 2: Behavior Modification - Graphing Behavior

Developing Baseline Measures of Behavior

What is a Baseline?
  • Definition: Baseline measures are:
    i) The things you keep track of in order to obtain information.
    ii) The standard against which you will measure all subsequent changes implemented by your program.
  • Graph Representation: Often displayed as lines in graph form to easily show changes over time.
  • Alternate Names: Reference points, adaptation levels, anchors, or norms.
Why Use Baseline Measures?
  • Effectiveness:
    • To determine if efforts are resulting in positive changes.
    • Essential for planning an effective program.
    • To gauge the severity of the problem before interventions.
    • To provide a benchmark for comparison after intervention has started.
  • Understanding Complex Issues:
    • Helps to simplify analysis of large sets of data (e.g. standardized test scores).
  • Intervention Timing:
    • Aids in deciding when to start an intervention or if it's even necessary.
  • Method Evaluation:
    • Identifies ineffective methods if no change is observed compared to the baseline, guiding the decision to stop those methods.
How to Develop a Baseline
  1. Select Indicators: Choose indicators that reflect the most important behaviors.
  2. Measure Indicators:
    • Determine which characteristics of behavior to measure.
    • Decide the conditions under which data will be collected.
    • Consider whether to observe continuously or use sampling.
    • Decide data collection methods (periodic versus intervals).
Interpreting Changes from the Baseline
  • Stable Baselines:
    • Characterized by little fluctuation over time; useful for project initiation.
  • Ascending Baselines:
    • Indicates a steady increase in the measured behavior over time.
  • Descending Baselines:
    • Shows a decrease in behavior over time.
  • Variable Baselines:
    • Data points are dispersed with no clear trends; risky to implement interventions as results remain inconclusive.
Using Baseline Data to Develop an Intervention
  1. Identify Problems:
    • Determine which problems require the most attention based on the data collected.
  2. Target Audience:
    • Define who the intervention will address (specific group or institution).
  3. Action Planning:
    • Establish behavioral goals for the intervention.
    • Assess existing knowledge and information about the community and related problems to select procedures.
    • Identify individuals responsible for implementing behavior changes.
    • Explore existing models of change for insight into successful strategies.
  4. Public Communication:
    • Plan how the intervention will be communicated to the community.
Monitoring and Evaluating Effectiveness
  • Ongoing Assessment:
    • Baseline measures aid in monitoring the effectiveness of interventions.
    • Essential for measuring the success of programs.