Deck 14: Single-Subject Research Designs.

Question 1

At what point is a phase change appropriate?​

A)​after five or six observations in the current phase
B)​when the participant begins to show an unstable pattern of behavior
C)when the participant shows the first response to the treatment
D)​when the participant shows a clear and stable pattern of behavior

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In a single-subject design when no treatment is being administered,the observations are called ____ observations.​

A)​no-treatment
B)​baseline
C)treatment
D)​random

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In a single-subject experimental design,if there is low variability from one observation to the next within a phase,the data are ____.​

A)​stable
B)​unstable
C)statistically significant
D)​visually significant

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Typically,the results from a single-subject research study are evaluated using ____.​

A)​descriptive statistics such as the mean and standard deviation
B)​inferential statistics such as a hypothesis test
C)visual inspection of a graph
D)​consensus among at least three researchers

Question 5

In a graph of single-subject research data,a clear indication of a treatment effect is a ____.​

A)​delay between the time the phase is changed and the time behavior begins to change
B)​large, immediate change in pattern
C)continuation of the same average level from one phase to the next
D)​gradual change in behavior

Question 6

A treatment phase is defined as ____.​

A)​a series of observations made when a treatment is being administered
B)​the first observation made after a treatment is administered
C)the amount of change between the final observation before treatment and the first observation after treatment
D)​the boundary between pre-treatment observations and post-treatment observations

Question 7

In single-subject research,a group of observations of the same individual under the same conditions is known as a ____.​

A)​time series
B)​phase
C)sequence
D)​data set

Question 8

The phase in a single-subject research design,during which the treatment is absent is called the ____ phase.​

A)​experimental
B)​treatment
C)baseline
D)​replication

Question 9

When the observations in the initial baseline phase show a trend in the direction of improved behavior,the researcher should ____.​

A)​administer the treatment immediately
B) ​.manipulate the environment until the change stops
C)increase the intensity of the treatment
D)​do nothing but continue to observe

Question 10

A stable trend within a phase is defined as a set of observations that ____.​

A)​cluster around a horizontal line when graphed
B)​cluster around a vertical line when graphed
C)cluster around a sloping line when graphed
D)​all have exactly the same magnitude

Question 11

Single-subject designs ____.​

A)can be used with small groups of participants
B)​cannot establish unambiguous causality
C)do not allow for manipulation of an independent variable
D)​have, historically, mostly arisen to evaluate behavioral hypotheses

Question 12

In single-subject research,unstable data ____.​

A)​make differences between treatment phases and baseline phases clear
B)​make it possible to define a pattern within a phase
C)make it impossible to determine whether a change in phases produces a change inpattern
D)​make it possible todetermine whether a change in phases produces a change in pattern

Question 13

One way in which single-subject research is like most other experimental designs is that ____.​

A)​means are compared with traditional tests for significance
B)​pre- and post-test scores are always compared
C)they provide detailed descriptions of single individuals
D)​they are capable of determining cause and effect relationships

Question 14

Averaging over two or three consecutive observations is one method for dealing with ____.​

A)​trends in the data
B)​phase changes
C)unstable data
D)​a treatment that has a relatively small effect

Question 15

In a single-subject phase change design,when does a researcher change phases?​

A)​after three observations
B)​after five or six observations
C)when the data show a clear and stable pattern
D)​at the beginning of each week

Question 16

In order to use a single-subject design to see whether a treatment caused a change in behavior,a researcher would need to ____​

A)​​make a series of observations over time
B)​provide a detailed description of a single individual
C)evaluate data sets with traditional tests
D)​identify another, similar individual, who receives no treatment

Question 17

The goal of single-subject research is to ____.​

A)​provide a detailed description of a single individual
B)​describe variables as the exist naturally
C)describe the relationship between variables
D)​determine cause and effect relationships between variables

Question 18

A stable level within a phase is defined as a set of observations that ____.​

A)​cluster around a horizontal line when graphed
B)​cluster around a line sloping up to the right when graphed
C)that cluster around a line sloping down to the right when graphed
D)​all have exactly the same magnitude

Question 19

In single-subject research,what is the definition of a phase change?​

A)​the point at which the subject begins to show a response to the treatment
B)​the point at which the treatment begins to lose effectiveness
C)the point at which the treatment is switched from one subject to another
D)​a change from baseline to treatment or from treatment to baseline

Question 20

What name is given to a single-subject design consisting of the following four phases in the order given: baseline,treatment,baseline,treatment?​

A)​BABA design
B)​ABA design
C)ABAB design
D)​multiple-baseline design

Question 21

For an alternating-treatments design it is essential that,for both treatments,the effect ____.​

A)​is immediate and long lasting
B)​is immediate but temporary
C)builds gradually over time and is long lasting
D)​builds gradually over time and is temporary

Question 22

The second AB in the sequence of an ABAB design provides evidence of ____.​

A)​external validity
B)​internal validity
C)reactivity
D)​experimenter bias

Question 23

Single-subjects research studies tend to have ____.​

A)​practical significance even though they do not have statistical significance
B)​statistical significance even though they do not have practical significance
C)both practical and statistical significance
D)​neither practical nor statistical significance

Question 24

In a graph of the results from an ABAB reversal design,which feature justifies a conclusion that the treatment causes changes in behavior?​

A)​the size of the change in behavior when the treatment is first introduced
B)​the time delay between the introduction of the treatment and the first change in magnitude of change
C)a permanent change in behavior that continues even after the treatment is withdrawn
D)​repeatedly demonstrating that behavior changes consistently when the treatment is introduced, withdrawn, and introduced again

Question 25

In a multiple-baseline design,two different baseline phases ____.​

A)​are started simultaneously but ended at different times
B)​are started at different times but ended simultaneously
C)are started at the same time and ended at the same time
D)​can be started and ended at completely different times

Question 26

A teacher has created a program for improving homework submission.Most children who complete the two-week program permanently submit their homework.Suppose the teacher decided to evaluate the program with a single-subject design.Which design would be most appropriate?​

A)​ABAB design
B)​multiple-baseline design
C)alternating-treatments design
D)​changing-criterion design

Question 27

What is an ethical concern for the ABAB design?​

A)​continuing to administer the treatment after it has already been shown to be effective
B)​administering the treatment immediately after the initial baseline phase
C)removing the treatment after it has already been shown to be effective
D)​reintroducing the treatment after it has already been shown to be effective

Question 28

The reversal component in an ABAB design ____.​

A)​assists in establishing a causal relationship
B)​introduces a modified version of the treatment
C)introduces a completely different treatment
D)​administers the treatment immediately after the initial baseline phase

Question 29

A researcher has developed a device to prevent snoring.The device works immediately when it is put on,but has no lasting effect when it is removed.The researcher decides to evaluate this device with a single-subject design.Which design is most appropriate?​

A)​ABAB design
B)​multiple-baseline design
C)alternating treatments design
D)​changing criterion design

Question 30

The credibility of any causal conclusions drawn using the ABAB design depends largely on the ____.​

A)​the intensity of the treatment
B)​the stability of behavioral change when the treatment is first introduced
C)the stability of behavioral change when the treatment is reintroduced
D)​the return to baseline component

Question 31

The different baselines in a multiple-baseline design can be defined by two or more ____.​

A)​different treatments
B)​different behaviors
C)different observers
D)​assessment instruments

Question 32

The advantage of an ABAB design versus a simple AB phase‑change design is that the ABAB design ____.​

A)​can be used when a treatment has a permanent or long‑lasting effect
B)​does not require a stable baseline phase
C)reduces the probability that the result is just chance or coincidence
D)​can be used even if the treatment effect is temporary

Question 33

In comparison to group designs,single-subject research ____.​

A)​tends to be inflexible
B)​is not well-suited for clinical research
C)allows for a detailed description of the participant's characteristics
D)​requires more complex statistical analysis

Question 34

During a one-hour session,a therapist switches back and forth between periods of personal comments aimed directly at the patient (e.g.,You seem to be quite happy today.)and periods of impersonal comments (e.g.,Happiness often is associated with sunny weather.).The therapist records how many self-revealing statements the patient makes during each period to see if there are any consistent differences.The researcher is using a(n)____.​

A)​ABAB design
B)​multiple-baseline design
C)alternating-treatments design
D)​changing-criterion design

Question 35

A healthy-eating program requires participants to monitor their vegetable consumption and to increase the number of vegetables they eat.The program sets a target for the number of vegetables a participant is required to eat each day,and the target number is changed every week.Although the target moves up and down,it gradually increases toward a goal of eight servings of vegetables daily after six weeks.Suppose this program were evaluated using a single-subject design.Which design would be appropriate? ​

A)​ABAB design
B)​multiple-baseline design
C)alternating-treatments design
D)​changing-criterion design

Question 36

In a graph of the results from multiple-baseline design using two participants,which feature justifies a conclusion that the treatment causes changes in behavior?​

A)​the size of the change in behavior each time the treatment is introduced
B)​the time delay between the introduction of the treatment and the first change in behavior for each participant
C)the return to baseline behavior when the treatment is withdrawn for both participants
D)​demonstrating that the same change in behavior occurs when the treatment is introduced at different times for the participants

Question 37

The main difference between a multiple-baseline design and an ABAB design is the ABAB design ____.

A)​is used when the treatment has a permanent or long‑lasting effect
B)​is used when the treatment has an immediate but temporary effect
C)does not require a stable baseline phase
D)​reduces the probability that the result is just chance or coincidence

Question 38

Ms.Glad,a third-grade teacher,is trying to reduce Joseph's and Jacob's "out of seat behavior." Which research design is she most likely to use?​

A)ABAB
B)​multiple-baseline across behaviors
C)multiple-baseline across subjects
D)​multiple-baseline across situations

Question 39

A multiple-baseline across behaviors design consists of ____ baseline phase(s)and ____ treatment phase(s)for each behavior.​

A)​one;one
B)​one;two
C)two;one
D)​two;two

Question 40

Dr.Mendezis trying to reduce Tamar's "talk out" behaviors,first at school and then at home.Which research design is she most likely to use?​

A)​ABAB
B)​multiple-baseline across behaviors
C)multiple-baseline across situations
D)​multiple-baseline across subjects

Question 41

An ABAB design is preferred to a multiple-baseline design if the treatment is expected to have a permanent or long lasting effect.​

Question 42

A clear indication of a treatment effect is a gradual change in behavior after the treatment is initiated.​

Question 43

The success of a single-subject experiment depends on demonstrating that behavior changes when the treatment is implemented and then repeating the demonstration at least one more time.​

Question 44

If a clinician wanted to determine whether a specific treatment causes a change in a client's behavior,a single-subject design could be used.​

Question 45

In the notation for single-subject designs (e.g.,ABAB),the letter B represents the baseline phase.​

Question 46

In a single-subject phase change study,it does not matter how long it takes for behavior to change after a phase change as long as there eventually is a large change in behavior.​

Question 47

When a treatment is expected to have long lasting effects,a multiple-baseline design is the most appropriate single-subject design.​

Question 48

The alternating-treatments design does not consist of phases or phase changes.

Question 49

A multiple-baseline design requires that the targeted behavior return to baseline levels when the treatment is removed.​

Question 50

The goal of single-subject designs is to demonstrate that the manipulation of a treatment is responsible for causing changes in behavior.

Question 51

The optimal length of a phase is three observations.​

Question 52

In a multiple-baseline design,there is only one phase change,from baseline to treatment.​

Question 53

A baseline phase consists of a series of observations made immediately after a treatment is introduced.​

Question 54

A multiple-baseline design requires two groups of participants.​

Question 55

Behavior that shows a consistent increase from one observation to the next during a baseline phase is an example of unstable behavior.​

Question 56

Single-subject designs provide data that can be evaluated with traditional tests of significance.​

Question 57

If a researcher is planning an ABAB design but the participant does not respond to the treatment,the researcher can simply switch to a new treatment and begin a more complex phase-change design.​

Question 58

To be successful,a single-subject experiment must have stable data in each phase before moving to the next phase.​

Question 59

Single-subject research (compared to group designs)cannot demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship with only one participant.​

Question 60

The changing-criterion design would be appropriate for gradually increasing the number of pages read per week by an eighth-grade child.​

Question 61

The most commonly used single-subject designs are the ABAB design and the multiple-baseline design.Describe the different circumstances for which each of these designs is appropriate.​

Question 62

Describe how single-case designs are similar to descriptive case studies and quasi-experimental time-series designs.​

Question 63

Describe the purpose of a phase within a single-case experiment and the ways to define a pattern within a phase.

Question 64

In most research studies,statistical techniques are used to rule out chance as a plausible explanation for the results.In single-subject research,how is chance (or coincidence)ruled out as a plausible explanation for the observed treatment effects?​

Question 65

Discuss the general advantages and disadvantages of single-subject research compared to traditional group designs.​

Question 66

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using visual inspection of graphs rather than statistics to evaluate the significance of the results.​

Question 67

Describe the goal of a single-subject research study.​