D-05 Use Single-Subject Experimental Designs (e.g., Reversal, Multiple Baseline, Multielement, Changing Criterion) - Part 7 - Practical & Ethical Considerations When Using Experimental Designs
An advantage of the alternating treatments design over the reversal design is that
(all of the above) - 1. treatment of the problem behavior can begin right away. 2. you can quickly identify the most effective treatment. 3. the ethical dilemma of withdrawing an effective intervention is avoided.
Under what circumstances would you consider using a B-A-B design?
(all of the above) - 1. when time is limited 2. when the target behavior could cause injury to the client or others 3. when an intervention is already in place
Under what circumstance is it inappropriate to use a reversal design?
(all of the above) - 1. when withdrawing the intervention would risk injury to the client or staff 2. when conducting a reversal is objectionable to the treatment team 3. when the change in behavior produced by the intervention is irreversible
Which design could provide the most valid non-intervention measure with a demonstration of experimental control?
A-B-A-B
You need to intervene on a tolerable, but annoying behavior. What experimental design should you use?
A-B-A-B
A student stops working for candy in school because his mother has started putting candy in his lunch. This is a confound due to
bootleg reinforcement.
You are evaluating the effects of a new token economy in a special education classroom. To save money, instead of using objects as tokens, teachers are directed to "deliver" tokens by tallying the number of "tokens earned per lesson" on a data sheet kept on students' desks. Your evaluation is at risk of a confound due to
bootleg reinforcement.
Continuing an experimental condition until staffing patterns stabilize is a strategy for avoiding a confound due to
changes in the environment.
After completing baseline and three sessions of the experimental phase, your client moves to another state. This exemplifies an experimental confound due to
client attrition.
Beginning an experiment with more subjects than you need is a strategy for avoiding a confound due to
client attrition.
Objections to using reversal designs to evaluate interventions for academic goals include
concern that treatment gains won't be recaptured after the reversal.
You want to use a multiple baseline across subjects design to evaluate the effect of extinction on self-injurious behavior. Before beginning,
determine how you will keep the subjects safe.
After less restrictive attempts have failed, you develop an intervention that includes an aversive component. You should always
determine whether the program will be properly implemented.
An advantage of the alternating treatments design over the reversal design is that
differential effects of interventions are apparent despite practice effects.
One risk to the demonstration of experimental control when using a B-A-B design is that the behavior
doesn't deteriorate during the A condition.
A client may receive treatment for an ear infection as you are about to begin an intervention. To be able to experimentally evaluate the intervention, you should
encourage the doctor to begin treatment and extend your baseline.
The day you are to begin an experimental reading intervention, the student becomes ill and is out for a week. When he returns, you should
extend your baseline.
An ethical consideration when using a multiple baseline design to evaluate self-injurious behavior is the
extended baseline for self-injury.
Rapidly changing experimental conditions is a strategy for avoiding a confound due to
maturation.
You are evaluating the efficacy of an intervention to help the members of a little league baseball team improve their throwing accuracy. The intervention, to be implemented over the course of the baseball season, takes place during brief training sessions at the beginning of every team practice. Your evaluation is at risk of a confound due to
maturation.
The results of an evaluation of two different interventions using an alternating treatments design show a large vertical distance between the data paths. This indicates that
one treatment was more effective than the other.
An advantage of the alternating treatments design over the reversal design is that you can
quickly identify the most effective treatment.
An ethical consideration when using a withdrawal design to evaluate self-injurious behavior is the
risk of injury during the reversal phase.
An advantage of the alternating treatments design over the A-B-A-B reversal design is that
treatment of the problem behavior can begin right away.
Under what circumstances is it inappropriate to use a reversal design?
when the change in behavior produced by the intervention is irreversible
Under what circumstances would you consider using a B-A-B design?
when the target behavior could cause injury to the client or others
Under what circumstances is it inappropriate to use a reversal design?
when withdrawal of the intervention would risk injury to the client or staff