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The second component of any single-subject design is a series of repeated measures of the subject's performance under a treatment or intervention condition. The independent variable (treatment or intervention) is introduced, and its effects on the dependent variable (the student's performance) are measured and recorded.
Single-subject designs provide structures for evaluating the performance of individuals rather than groups. Single-subject designs require repeated measures of the dependent variable. They often compare the effects of different conditions on the same individual.
The purpose of using applied behavior analysis procedures in the classroom is to achieve, and verify, meaningful changes in a student's behavior. The effectiveness of an intervention can be judged against both an experimental criterion and a clinical criterion. The experimental criterion verifies that an independent variable (an intervention) was responsible for the change in the dependent variable (a behavior). The clinical criterion is a judgement as to whether the results of the teacher's intervention are "large enough to be of practical value or have impact on the everyday lives of those who receive the intervention, as well as those in contact with them." A third criterion for evaluating the outcome of an intervention is its social validity.
Experimental control refers to the researcher's efforts to ensure that changes in the dependent variable are in fact related to manipulations of the independent variable- that a function relation exists.
Is the basic single-subject design. The AB design is a teaching design.
The teacher i the example took baseline data for 5 days on correct responses and then added 2 minutes of free time for every correct answer and recorded number of correct responses for the intervention data and e number clearly increased on the table.
Certain characteristics are examined in order to judge the effectiveness of the intervention. These characteristics include the mean of the data points in the phase, the levels of performance from one phase to the next, th trend in performance across phases, the percentage of data that overlap in adjacent phases, and the rapidity of behavior change within phases. Visual analysis is often quick and effective and is relatively easy to learn.
The first phase of single-subject design involves the collection and recording of baseline data. The baseline phase continues for several sessions before the intervention phase begins. Take baseline trends into account before intervention. An ascending baseline denotes and increasing trend. A descending baseline includes at least three data points that show a distinctive decreasing direction or trend in the behavior.
Data collected using an AB design are graphed in two phases: A, or baseline, and B, or intervention. A broken vertical line on the graph separates the two phases, and data points between phases are not connected.
The AB design does not provide for the replication within an experiment that establishes a functional relation.
The primary advantage of an B design is its simplicity. The disadvantage of the AB design is that it cannot be used to make a confident assumption of a functional relation.
The changing criterion design evaluates the effectiveness of an independent variable by demonstrating that a behavior can be incrementally increased or decreased toward a terminal performance goal.
The multiple baseline design permits simultaneous analysis of more than one dependent variable. This design is the design of choice when the teacher is interested in applying an intervention procedure to more than one individual, setting, or behavior.
The first step in implementing the changing criterion design is to gather baseline data in the same manner used in other single-subject designs. The next step in implementing then changing criterion design is to being the intervention phases. A functional relation between the dependent and independent variable is demonstrated if the student's performance level matches the continually changing criterion for performance and reinforcement specified by the teacher.
Data is collected on each dependent variable simultaneously. The same scale of measurement should be used for each dependent variable. Adjacent graphs should be examined to be sure that each successive intervention has an independent treatment effect of the appropriate dependent variable.
The teacher should plot the data collected using a separate axis for each of the dependent variables to which intervention was applied.
A baseline phase is followed by the intervention phase, with a dashed vertical line separating the two conditions and each subphase.
The application can be observed across behaviors, across individuals, or across settings.
Certain procedural elements may increase the research credibility of the changing criterion design by enhancing experimental control: (1) continuing with a subphase until a stable rate has been established. (2) Altering the number of sessions in some subphases. (3) Varying the increase (or decrease) of performance required in subphases. (4) Requiring a change in a direction opposite to the terminal goal in one or more phases.
The term variable is used to refer to any number of factors involved in research.
When changes in a dependent variable are replicated each time the same independent variable is implemented, a functional relation is said to exist.
The advantage of the changing criterion design is that it can establish a functional relation while continually changing the behavior in a positive direction. May be inappropriate for behaviors that require or lend themselves to rapid modification.
The multiple baseline design can establish a function relation without withdrawing the intervention, as is necessary in a reversal design, and without gradual alteration, as is required in changing criterion design. The advantages make it useful in the classroom. The design requires that the researcher apply to many students, behaviors, or settings, which may not always be practical.
The reversal design is used to analyze the effectiveness of a single independent variable. Referred to as the ABAB design.
Has four phases: A, B, A, and B:
A (baseline 1): the initial baseline.
B (intervention 1): the initial introduction of the intervention selected to alter the target behavior.
A (baseline 2): a return to original baseline conditions.
B (intervention 2): the reintroduction of the intervention procedure.
The reversal design is broken into four distinct phases on a table and graph.
Reference:
Alberto, P.A. & Troutman, A.C. (2013). Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers. Pearson. Boston.
The first variation does not involve a change in the structure of the design, but simply shortens the length of the initial baseline (A) period. A snd variation omits the initial baseline entirely.
Researchers often use the ABAB design.
Offers advantages of simplicity and experimental control. The disadvantage of this design is the necessity for withdrawing an effective intervention in order to determine whether a functional relation exist.
Two categories of research design are group design and single-subject designs. Group designs focus on questions and data related to groups of individuals, whereas single-subject designs focus on questions and data related to a particular individual.
The alternating treatments design allows comparison of the effectiveness of ore than one treatment or intervention strategy on a single dependent variable.
A changing conditions design is used to investigate the effects of two or more treatments (independent variables) on the behavior of a student (dependent variable).
The first step in setting up an alternating design is to select the target behavior and two or more potential treatments. A distinctive discriminative stimulus, signal, or cue immediately preceding each treatment will make it clear to the student which condition is in effect.
The first step is to collect baseline data to assess the student's present level of performance. The teacher then establishes an intervention. If the intervention does not show a change in student performance, then the intervention is modified until one is found.
Baseline data are plotted first and separated from intervention data by a vertical broken line. Several curves may be shown on each graph.
A baseline phase is followed by the intervention phases, with a dashed vertical line separating the sessions and data associated with each specific intervention.
Action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by teachers and other educational professionals in teaching/learning environments to gather information and reflect upon how their school operates, how they teach, or how well their students learn. Considered a naturalistic approach to research. Action research is nonexperimental and descriptive, whereas single-subject research is experimental and seeks to identify functional relations resulting from the manipulation of variables.
Using an alternating treatments design can help teachers individualize instruction. The alternating treatments design can provide rapid and accurate feedback about the comparative effectiveness of various teaching techniques.
The basic steps of an action research study: (1) identify an area of focus or concern, (2) collect data for documentation, (3) analyze and interpret data, and (4) share the information with others and develop an action plan.
The changing conditions design allows for different interventions to be implemented until the desired behavior is maintained.
The study conducted by Schoen and Nolen (2004) is an example of the use of some single-subject research tools as part of action research. The teacher and team addressed the behavior of a sixth grader with learning disabilities. His acting out behaviors were causes him to be off task which resulted in poor academics. They took several kinds of data. An action plan was developed after review of the data.
This design is an efficient way for teachers to answer one of the most important instructional questions: which method is most likely to be successful with this student? One disadvantage is the necessity to institute a replication phase in order to establish a clear functional relation.
The changing conditions design with a single baseline allows the teacher to compare the effects of interventions on student behavior. No functional relation can be established.