Question 1

A design that turns out to be A-B-A-B-A-B also is an experimental removal design, and thereby offers the logical basis for inferring causality.

Accepted Answer

This design, known as a reversal or withdrawal design, involves alternating between the application and withdrawal of a treatment (A = no treatment, B = treatment). The repeated changes in behavior with the introduction and removal of the treatment provide strong evidence for causal relationships.

Question 2

A design that turns out to be B-A is not an experimental removal design, and it cannot claim any logical basis for inferring causality.

Accepted Answer

A B-A design, which involves introducing an intervention and then removing it, does not allow for clear causal inference because it does not control for external variables or the possibility of time-related effects influencing the outcomes.

Question 3

Use of an A-B-A-B design can unequivocally prove that it was your specific technique that produced the changes.

Accepted Answer

An A-B-A-B design, also known as a reversal design, can demonstrate the effectiveness of an intervention by showing that behavior changes when the intervention is introduced (B) and removed (A). However, it cannot unequivocally prove causation due to potential confounding variables and the inability to control for all external factors.

Question 4

The experimental design that would probably be most suited for emergency situations would be:&#10;A) A-B-A&#10;B) A-B-A-B&#10;C) B-A-B

Accepted Answer

The B-A-B design, where B represents the treatment phase and A represents the baseline or control phase, is most suited for emergency situations. This design starts with the treatment to address the emergency immediately, then observes the effects of withdrawing the treatment, and finally reinstates the treatment to confirm its effectiveness.

Question 5

The major factor determining when to change phases is:&#10;A) Length of phases&#10;B) Stability in the data&#10;C) Carryover effects&#10;D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

The major factor determining when to change phases in a study or experiment is stability in the data. This means that the data points are consistent over time, indicating that the conditions being studied are stable and any changes observed can be attributed to the interventions or manipulations being tested, rather than to random fluctuations or external variables.

Question 6

The main thing carryover effects do when they are present is:&#10;a) Clarify causality exists&#10;b) Decrease stability&#10;c) Demonstrate reversibility&#10;d) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Carryover effects refer to the influence that a previous treatment or condition has on a subsequent one, which can confound results and make it difficult to determine causality, stability, or reversibility.

Question 7

The A-B-A-B design tends to protect from the following threat or threats to internal validity:&#10;A) History&#10;B) Maturation&#10;C) Testing&#10;D) All of the above&#10;E) None of the above

Accepted Answer

The A-B-A-B design, also known as a reversal design, helps protect against various threats to internal validity, including history, maturation, and testing, by allowing researchers to observe changes when an intervention is introduced and then withdrawn.

Question 8

In an experimental removal design, the practitioner has to have a B intervention that attains positive improvement (in comparison with the baseline data) before removing that B and returning to an A condition (baseline).

Accepted Answer

In an experimental removal design, the intervention (B) must show positive improvement to demonstrate its effect before it is removed to assess if the changes revert to baseline (A), confirming the intervention's impact.

Question 9

A major reason for using the B-A-B design is that one can begin to work with the problem immediately and still have a logical basis for determining both change and possible causality.

Accepted Answer

The B-A-B design, a variation of the A-B-A withdrawal design, allows for immediate intervention (B phase) after an initial baseline (A phase) is established, followed by a return to baseline and another intervention phase. This design helps in quickly addressing the problem while still providing a structured method to assess the effects of the intervention and infer causality by observing changes across different phases.

Question 10

A practitioner removes a successful intervention because he/she wishes to test a research hypothesis about causality, which requires that an experimental removal take place.

Accepted Answer

Removing a successful intervention to test a research hypothesis about causality is a method used in experimental designs to understand the direct impact of the intervention on the outcome. This approach helps in confirming whether the observed changes are indeed due to the intervention or if they could be attributed to other factors.

Question 11

I applied my intervention in the third phase to Angelina's walking instead of her sitting still. This design is most precisely called:&#10;A) Removal&#10;B) Withdrawal&#10;C) Reversal&#10;D) Experimental

Accepted Answer

The answer of I applied my intervention in the third...

Question 12

Carryover effects are always the same as irreversibility.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Carryover effects are always the same as...

Deck 14: The Experimental Single-System Designs: A-B-A, A-B-A-B, B-A-B