Chapter 14 Single-Subject Research
Design
Single-subject designs (single-case designs) - correct answer-Research designs that use the
results from a single participant or subject.
•Establish the existence of cause-and-effect relationships.
•Must manipulate an IV and control extraneous variables to prevent alternative explanations
for the research results.
Critical Elements of a Single-Case Experimental Design - correct answer-•Single-case
experimental studies always involve manipulation of one variable.
•Control of other variables is achieved with a combination of three components in all
single-case designs:
•Baseline
•Repeated Observations
•Replication
Baseline - correct answer-There is a clear measure of baseline behavior prior to
administering any treatment.
Repeated Observations - correct answer-Multiple measures are obtained during baseline
and each treatment condition to ensure that outside factors are not influencing behavior until
the researcher intervenes and changes to the next treatment condition.
The success of a single-case design requires that the series of observations/measurements
during baseline and each treatment are stable. -> no large fluctuations
Replication - correct answer-If the results show a clear change in behavior when the
researcher changes the treatment condition, the same change must be demonstrated a
second time before the researcher can conclude that the change in treatment is responsible
for causing the change in behavior.
Evaluating the Results from a Single-Case Study - correct answer-It is essential that the
obtained data be unquestionably clear so that an observer can see the treatment effect by
seeing a graph of the results
-the results of a single-case design do not provide researchers with a set of scores from a
group of participants or subjects that can be used to conduct traditional statistical tests for
significance
ex)study examining the effects of a behavior intervention program designed to treat the
classroom-disruption behavior of a single student. The student's behavior (number of
disruptions) was observed and recorded for 5 days prior to implementing the treatment. In
, the graph, each day's observation is recorded as a single point, with the series of days
presented on the horizontal axis and the magnitude of the behavior (number of disruptions)
on the vertical axis. The intervention program was implemented on day 6, and the student's
behavior was recorded for five additional days while the program was being administered
(days 6-10 on the graph)
Evaluating the Results from a Single-Case Study: Two reasons to be sleptical - correct
answer-1. It is possible that factors other than the treatment are responsible for the apparent
change in behavior.
-case study is not a true experiment
2. The apparent difference between the before-treatment observations and the
after-treatment observations may simply be the result of chance.
How are single-case designs similar to other experimental designs? - correct answer-They
are capable of determining cause-and-effect relationships.
Why do single-case designs use a series of observations of the same individual under the
same conditions? - correct answer-To ensure that the observed behavior is not being
influenced by outside variables
Phase - correct answer-In a single-case research design, a series of observations of the
same individual under the same conditions.
baseline observations - correct answer-In a single-case research study, observations or
measurements made while no treatment is being administered.
baseline phase - correct answer-In a single-case research study, a series of baseline
observations identified by the letter A.
treatment observations - correct answer-In a single-case research study, observations or
measurements made while a treatment is being administered.
treatment phase - correct answer-In a single-case research study, a series of treatment
observations identified by the letter B.
Letters describing phases - correct answer-when a study contains two or more distinct
treatments, B identifies the first treatment condition, and C, D, and so on identify other
treatments.
Also, when a study contains modifications of a basic treatment, B identifies the basic
treatment, and the different modifications are called B1, B2, and so on.
Finally, when one phase involves administering two or more treatments simultaneously, the
single phase can be identified by a pair of letters representing the two different treatments.
Thus, a single-case research design might be described as an A-B-B1-A-BC-C design
Design
Single-subject designs (single-case designs) - correct answer-Research designs that use the
results from a single participant or subject.
•Establish the existence of cause-and-effect relationships.
•Must manipulate an IV and control extraneous variables to prevent alternative explanations
for the research results.
Critical Elements of a Single-Case Experimental Design - correct answer-•Single-case
experimental studies always involve manipulation of one variable.
•Control of other variables is achieved with a combination of three components in all
single-case designs:
•Baseline
•Repeated Observations
•Replication
Baseline - correct answer-There is a clear measure of baseline behavior prior to
administering any treatment.
Repeated Observations - correct answer-Multiple measures are obtained during baseline
and each treatment condition to ensure that outside factors are not influencing behavior until
the researcher intervenes and changes to the next treatment condition.
The success of a single-case design requires that the series of observations/measurements
during baseline and each treatment are stable. -> no large fluctuations
Replication - correct answer-If the results show a clear change in behavior when the
researcher changes the treatment condition, the same change must be demonstrated a
second time before the researcher can conclude that the change in treatment is responsible
for causing the change in behavior.
Evaluating the Results from a Single-Case Study - correct answer-It is essential that the
obtained data be unquestionably clear so that an observer can see the treatment effect by
seeing a graph of the results
-the results of a single-case design do not provide researchers with a set of scores from a
group of participants or subjects that can be used to conduct traditional statistical tests for
significance
ex)study examining the effects of a behavior intervention program designed to treat the
classroom-disruption behavior of a single student. The student's behavior (number of
disruptions) was observed and recorded for 5 days prior to implementing the treatment. In
, the graph, each day's observation is recorded as a single point, with the series of days
presented on the horizontal axis and the magnitude of the behavior (number of disruptions)
on the vertical axis. The intervention program was implemented on day 6, and the student's
behavior was recorded for five additional days while the program was being administered
(days 6-10 on the graph)
Evaluating the Results from a Single-Case Study: Two reasons to be sleptical - correct
answer-1. It is possible that factors other than the treatment are responsible for the apparent
change in behavior.
-case study is not a true experiment
2. The apparent difference between the before-treatment observations and the
after-treatment observations may simply be the result of chance.
How are single-case designs similar to other experimental designs? - correct answer-They
are capable of determining cause-and-effect relationships.
Why do single-case designs use a series of observations of the same individual under the
same conditions? - correct answer-To ensure that the observed behavior is not being
influenced by outside variables
Phase - correct answer-In a single-case research design, a series of observations of the
same individual under the same conditions.
baseline observations - correct answer-In a single-case research study, observations or
measurements made while no treatment is being administered.
baseline phase - correct answer-In a single-case research study, a series of baseline
observations identified by the letter A.
treatment observations - correct answer-In a single-case research study, observations or
measurements made while a treatment is being administered.
treatment phase - correct answer-In a single-case research study, a series of treatment
observations identified by the letter B.
Letters describing phases - correct answer-when a study contains two or more distinct
treatments, B identifies the first treatment condition, and C, D, and so on identify other
treatments.
Also, when a study contains modifications of a basic treatment, B identifies the basic
treatment, and the different modifications are called B1, B2, and so on.
Finally, when one phase involves administering two or more treatments simultaneously, the
single phase can be identified by a pair of letters representing the two different treatments.
Thus, a single-case research design might be described as an A-B-B1-A-BC-C design
