RBT - Graphs and what they Tell Us

Alternating treatment design

- allows comparison of multiple treatments to see which is most effective - experimental control comes from consistent contrast between different interventions and the effect each has on the target behavior

A-B design

- baseline data compared to intervention data to indicate that intervention was responsible for change in responding - does not show experimental control

reversal design (ABAB design)

- has stronger level of experimental control than AB design - demonstrates that when intervention is removed, or baseline is introduced, responding returns to original level - can show that behavior change predictably and reliably occurs when switching of conditions

Multipule baseline design

- independent variable is implemented across three or more students, staff members, responses or environment in an AB design - experimental control demonstrated by showing that across different children, the same intervention or independent variable will have the same effect on the response

Which of the following is a reason that graphs are important?

-- Graphs allow for visual inspection of the data -- Analyzing data in graphic displays allows us to make more objective, data-based decisions -- Graphs help us demonstrate that the procedures we use are responsible for changes in the target behavior

Which of the following statements is true about experimental control?

--Experimental control is shown when there is a change in the behavior when the intervention is started --Experimental control is shown when the change in behavior is demonstrated reliably and repeatedly --We show experimental control by running mini-research experiments when we use a procedure to teach a new skill or decrease challenging behavior

Which of the following is important when graphing?

-Follow the graphing protocols outlined by the organization you work for -Use correct terminology when writing on the graph -Keep the graph clean and readable

When a graph shows sudden or drastic changes in a client's behavior that do not seem to be attributed to anything in your session, it may be the result of a confounding variable. In this case you should...

-Talk to the client's caregiver and try to figure out what the confounding variable could be. -Show the data to your supervisor and discuss your concern.

Which is an example of a possible confounding variable?

-The client's family recently moved and the client is now attending a new school -The client's medication was increased -The client's sibling is away at summer camp

What are the two situations in which a reversal (ABAB) design should not be used (select two answer choices)

-When the data represents a skill that has been taught and cannot be unlearned -When the behavior being tracked is a severe challenging behavior that may be dangerous or cause harm to the client or others

What does the baseline condition show?

A measure of the target behavior before intervention is introduced

Look at the graph shown here. What type of trend does the data path show?

Ascending

Look at the graph shown here. What does this data tell us about the target response of reading words and the intervention procedure of reinforcement?

During baseline, the client did not read many words correctly. When reinforcement was used, the number of words read correctly increased and continued on an ascending trend.

Which statement is correct about independent and dependent variables?

The independent variable refers to the procedure being used to change behavior, the dependent variable refers to the behavior being measured

Look at the graph shown here. What does the data point in red tell us?

The target behavior occurred 5 times during the 5th session

A graph is a format for visually displaying data

True

Look at the graph shown here. The highlighted line is called the X axis and it represents the passage of time over which observations occur.

True

Which of the following statements is NOT true of a reversal (ABAB) design?

With a reversal design the baseline condition is implemented only one time

An A-B design shows strong experimental control.

False

The graph we use most often in ABA is called

Line graph

What type of design is shown here?

Multiple baseline deign

Which best describes an alternating treatment design?

Multiple interventions are introduced repeatedly in an alternating pattern. These data are compared in order to determine which intervention is most effective.