Sped 503A Lesson 6

Front 1

Experimental Control

Back 1

A change in an individual’s behavior
that can be reliably and repeatedly
produced by some manipulation of the
environment (antecedents or
consequences).

Front 2

A _____ in behavior and a manipulation of th ___________ form a ___________ ____________

Back 2

Conclusion - change in a behavior and
manipulation of the environment form a functional relationship (i.e. the manipulation can be used to bring about the change).

Front 3

Experimental Analysis

Back 3

The methods we use to
establish that we have
experimental control. This
includes analysis of
stability, trends, levels and
possible confounds.

Front 4

What is the difference
between a condition
change and a phase
change?

Back 4

In a condition change, one
element of the independent
variable is changed but the
basic nature of the
independent variable remains
the same In a phase change, the
independent variable is
fundamentally changed
(e.g. change from response
cost to overcorrection, or
from baseline to
intervention).

Front 5

Data Path

Back 5

Connection of successive
data points with straight
lines that represents the
path of the data over time
(more points, more
confidence in data path)

Front 6

Research designs affect
the form of a graph and the
logic applied to graph
interpretation.

Back 6

True

Front 7

What are four basic research
designs in ABA. Generally
designs are built from AB
sequences

Back 7

1. The reversal design
2. The multiple baseline design
3. The alternating treatments
4. The changing criterion design

Front 8

The AB Design

Back 8

1. The least useful design it is not a
research design
2. Based upon a false and incomplete
logic of comparing the treatment
phase with the baseline phase.
3. Does not permit analysis of
experimental control—no reliable
and repeatable result

Front 9

The Reversal Design

Back 9

1. An extension of the AB design
2. The simplest design in which
experimental control can be
established.
3. Can be ABA (withdrawal),
ABAB and other more complex
variations

Front 10

The Multiple Baseline
Design

Back 10

1. An extension of the AB design
2. Is used where reversal is
undesirable or unfeasible.
3. Experimental control is
established by replication of the
intervention under different
conditions (different person,
behavior or setting).

Front 11

The Alternating
Treatments Design

Back 11

1. An extension of the AB design
2. Is used where the purpose is to
compare two or more treatments
that can be applied independently
without multiple treatment
interference.
3. May or may not employ a baseline

Front 12

The Changing Criterion
Design

Back 12

1. An extension of the AB design
2. A series of AB designs where each
phase (criterion) serves as a
baseline for the subsequent phase
3. Is used where reversal is
undesirable or unfeasible and the
goal is to bring about incremental
changes in a behavior

Front 13

Procedures used to reveal
why and how changes in
behavior came about

Back 13

Experimental Analysis

Front 14

Three Levels Of Analysis
Or Understanding

Back 14

Description
  what happens
  (the behavior changes)
  Prediction
  consistent covariation
  (the behavior changes each time the
independent variable changes)
  Control
  ability to bring about the change
  (we can use changes in the independent
variable to bring about changes in the
dependent variable- functionality)

Front 15

The Nature Of Behavior
 Assumptions

Back 15

  Behavior is determined
 it is lawful
 there is a relationship
between events (antecedents
and consequences) and
behavior)

Front 16

The Nature Of Behavior
Assumptons

Back 16

Behavior variability is extrinsic
to the organism
  Variability is the result of some
aspect of the environment
  Some uncontrolled variability
must be accepted (i.e. we can’t
control all elements of the
environment)

Front 17

The Nature Of Behavior
Assumptons

Back 17

Behavior is an individual
phenomenon
  Based on the organism’s
interaction with the
environment
  Based on the organism’s
history in interaction with
the environment

Front 18

The Nature Of Behavior
Assumptons

Back 18

 Generality (behavior law) is
produced by replication
  Group measures of behavior
does little for producing
behavior change in individuals- because individuals have different
histories

Front 19

The Nature Of Behavior
Assumptons

Back 19

  Behavior is a continuous
phenomenon
  Behavior takes place and changes in time
  Only analysis of behavior over time yields a complete record of a
person’s behavior.
  Only analysis of behavior over time permits us to make use of functional relationships.

Front 20

Experimental Design
Components

Back 20

  subject
  behavior
  setting
  system for direct / repeated
measurement
  ongoing visual inspection of data
  independent variable
  research design

Front 21

Internal validity

Back 21

Changes in behavior are a
function of the independent
variable, not some
uncontrolled variable

Front 22

Confounding variables (internal validity)

Back 22

Variables that have an
uncontrolled influence on
the data pattern and make
interpretation of the data
path difficult if not
impossible.

Front 23

External validity

Back 23

Degree to which results are
generalizable to other
subjects, settings, levels of
independent variables, or
behaviors

Front 24

Subjects

Back 24

 ABA designs are also
referred to as single
subject designs
 Each subject serves as his/
her own control
 ABA design have been
applied to groups (density
study)
 Each subject’s
performance is graphed
and analyzed separately
 Using subjects as their own
controls eliminates
intersubject variability

Front 25

Behaviors

Back 25

 Must be measured on some
dimension (rate, duration
etc.)
 The target behavior as it is
measured is defined as the
dependent variable

Front 26

More Than One
Dependent Variable

Back 26

 To serve as data patterns
for control for replication of
effects (multiple baseline)
 To assess generalizability
across a class of behaviors
(self-injurious behaviors)
  To identify behaviors of others
that might co-vary with the
target behavior and therefore
are confounds (teacher
behavior—teacher introduces
social stories, and provides
reinforcement)

Front 27

The investigator is
concerned with controlling
two sets of environmental
variables

Back 27

  Those that are manipulated-
independent variables
  Those that must be held
constant

Front 28

In natural settings,
environmental control of
the setting is difficult, often
resulting in more behavioral
variability. Thus, we may be
forced to use more

Back 28

extended phase lengths

Front 29

Results
 reflect how well behavior
was measured. This requires:

Back 29

  standardized procedures-
timing of observations, etc.
  reliability checks
  operational definitions
  careful recording

Front 30

Independent Variables
 Can be single variables or a
cluster (package) that
comprises a treatment

Back 30

True

Front 31

Teacher
attention is an example of

Back 31

Single variable

Front 32

A self management
program that includes
  goal setting
  self-recording
  self-evaluation
  self-reinforcement

Back 32

Cluster

Front 33

With A Package We Can

Back 33

 compare different forms of
the package
 examine components of the
package
 examine the effects of the
entire package over
baseline

Front 34

Data collected in the absence of
the treatment (independent)
variable

Back 34

Baselines Baselines are usually established
before treatment/intervention and
may be reintroduced after
treatment to establish
experimental control

Front 35

Purposes of a baseline

Back 35

  Comparison to the treatment condition
  Establishing stability before treatment
  Examining variability for possible
interventions (look at conditions on
high/low days)
  Establishing criteria for reinforcement
  Establishing need for intervention

Front 36

Baseline Patterns

Back 36

 Stable –
 Variable-
  Ascending
  Descending

Front 37

most desirable baseline pattern

Back 37

Stable

Front 38

can still be
interpreted if there are
clear differences between
phases

Back 38

variable

Front 39

Ascending

Back 39

Behavior is in process of increasing,
likely to obscure effects of
independent variable, unless goal is
to reduce behavior. Continue
baseline to stability or monitor if
direction of change is desirable. If
undesirable, introduce independent
variable immediately, look for
source of change

Front 40

Descending

Back 40

Behavior is in process of
decreasing, likely to obscure effects
of independent variable, unless goal
is to increase behavior. Continue
baseline to stability or monitor if
direction of change is desirable. If
undesirable, introduce independent
variable immediately, look for
source of change

Front 41

Determination of the
sequence of the application
of independent variables

Back 41

Research Designs Reversal, multiple baseline,
alternating treatments and
changing criterion have
different sequences

Front 42

If we want to determine if an
intervention worked, we must
make a __________ of
measures of the behavior
during intervention with
identical measures in the
absence of the intervention
(the baseline)

Back 42

comparison

Front 43

To make logical inferences
about whether the intervention
produced a change, or the
change may be the result of a
random (or not so random
event) we must rely on _______

Back 43

replication.

Front 44

ABA applies the _____ of ______ to
behavior. Thus, ABA relies upon
_________ of measures of
behavior recorded under ________ or _________conditions.

Back 44

logic of science
comparisons
similar or different

Front 45

Under similar conditions, behavior should be expressed at ______ levels, under different conditions, behavior ____ or ____ _____ be expressed at similar
levels.

Back 45

similar
may or may not

Front 46

If the levels are different, we must
determine if the difference is the
result of the change of conditions.
That is ____________ ___________

Back 46

experimental control.

Front 47

 Based on laws of inertia
  behavior will continue at its
present level unless acted
upon by some outside force
(steady state responding).

Back 47

Prediction Thus, we believe that baseline
has defined the upper and
lower limits of behavior under
the baseline conditions and we
can predict that the behavior
will continue to occur at a level
between those limits unless
acted on by an outside force.

Front 48

The _______ the period of
measurement, the more ________
the prediction.

Back 48

longer
reliable

Front 49

Predicts the
data path for the future,
unless an environmental
condition changes the path

Back 49

Baseline

Front 50

 The baseline (or
intervention condition)
length is a balance among:

Back 50

stability
need to intervene,
establishment of a functional relationship
potential for practice effect

Front 51

There is no need to have a
long baseline for behaviors
not in the child’s repertoire

Back 51

True

Front 52

Affirmation of the consequent

Back 52

Prediction
(if the behavior
changes when the independent
variable is applied, the
independent variable is a
controlling variable for the
behavior.)

Front 53

Verification

Back 53

The process of establishing
that the observed change in
behavior is functionally
related to the independent
variable.

Front 54

the
process of confirming the
original prediction – the
baseline will remain steady
in the absence of some
independent variable

Back 54

Verification

Front 55

The most
common means of
verification

Back 55

Reversal

Front 56

Reduces the
probability that some
confounding variable is
responsible for the change

Back 56

Verification

Front 57

In a multiple baseline, verification
is established by

Back 57

the baseline for
the second behavior, subject or
setting.

Front 58

In a changing criterion, verification
is established by

Back 58

by an extended
criterion phase or a return to a
previous criterion.

Front 59

In an alternating treatments, what serves as verification of previous
predictions from the previous data
points.

Back 59

each data point under a treatment

Front 60

Verification allows affirmation
of two consequents

Back 60

  the independent variable
controls responding when it is
applied
  baseline conditions control
responding when they are
applied

Front 61

Used to complete the
logical sequence

Back 61

Replication

Front 62

Replication is the repetition of
the observed with
further manipulations of the
independent variable

Back 62

change

Front 63

most common means
of replication

Back 63

ABAB
(also changing
criterion, alternating
treatments)

Front 64

For changing criterion,
replication occurs

Back 64

each time
the criterion changes

Front 65

For alternating treatments,
replication occurs

Back 65

each time
the treatment is alternated

Front 66

For multiple baseline replication
occurs

Back 66

at each subsequent
setting, subject or behavior

Front 67

Replication
 Two goals:

Back 67

  reduces probability that a
confounding variable is
present and responsible for
change
  demonstrates reliability of
change

Front 68

Visual Analysis
Application of the Logic
Basic Questions

Back 68

  Did a meaningful change
occur? (large enough to be
useful)
  To what extent is the change in
the dependent variable
attributable to the
manipulation of the
independent variable?

Front 69

In order to analyze our
data, we can examine and
compare

Back 69

  Variability in the data
  Levels of data
  Trends in the data

Front 70

Basic Steps In
Analysis

Back 70

1. Examine graph construction - note
unusual construction
2. Check data paths: what do points
represent?
3. Look for distortion in scales.
4. Analyze within phase conditions
5. Analyze between phase conditions

Front 71

Within Phase/Condition
Analysis Number of data points

Back 71

  Number sufficient to establish
patterns?
  Are the phases/conditions
repeated? (need fewer points within
each phase-eg. ABAB, alternating
treatments, multiple baselines)
  Is there previous information
providing some basis for data path
extrapolation?
  Ethical concerns

Front 72

More variability in phase
requires more

Back 72

data points

Front 73

Variability within phase/
condition may reveal some
_____________ ____________
especially when the
variation has a pattern.

Back 73

confounding variable

Front 74

________ variability is better
experimentally than ________
variability, but _______ variability
may lead to identification of the
_________

Back 74

Random
patterned
patterned
source

Front 75

Visual analysis isn't affected by
compressed or attenuated scales

Back 75

False

Front 76

If baselines are variable—

Back 76

A.  Extend baseline
B.  Examine intervention level for
significant changes in level/
trend

Front 77

 The value on the vertical
axis
Can be expressed as a
value (mean, median,
range)

Back 77

Level

Front 78

used
for moderate variability
data without outliers

Back 78

Mean level lines

Front 79

used
for high variability data or
data with outliers

Back 79

Median level lines

Front 80

are not appropriate for data
with an obvious trend, or
multiple levels

Back 80

Mean or median level lines

Front 81

The overall general
direction of data

Back 81

Trend

Described as increasing,
decreasing or zero

Trend can also be
accelerating, decelerating
or steady

Front 82

a graphical
representation of the trend

Back 82

Trend line

Trends can be stable,
variable, broken