Textbook Chapter 2 (65-84)
- assessing reliability
- interobserver reliability
- research designs
- descriptive research: describing the behavior and the situation where it occurs
- naturalistic observation: systematic observation and recording of behavior in its natural environment
- commonly used approach in ethology (zoology)
- ideal for studying inherited behavior
- cannot intervene or ask clarifying questions
- case studies: intense examination of 1 or a few individuals
- prevalent in medical settings
- experimental research: allows for cause and effect relationships
- 1+ independent variables are varied to determine their effect on a dependent variable
- control group designs: individuals are randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group
- comparative design: different species constitute one of the independent variables
- limitations:
- requires a large number of subjects
- focus on average performance of subjects
- results only analyzed at end of experiment
- single-subject designs: require 1 or a few subjects
- simple comparison design: behavior in a baseline condition that is compared to behavior in a treatment condition
- self-punishment procedure: people apply an aversive consequence to themselves each time they engage in an unwanted target behavior (b phase)
- baseline: normal frequency of the behavior that occurs before some intervention (a phase)
- reversal design: involves repeated alternations between a baseline period and a treatment period
- multiple-baseline design: treatment is instituted at successive points in time for 2+ persons, settings, or behaviors
- changing criterion design: effect of the treatment is demonstrated by how closely the behavior matches a criterion that is being systematically altered