Deck 13: The Single-Case Research Strategy

Question 1

Briefly describe the history of single-case research in psychology.

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Compare and contrast the group comparison approach and the single-case approach to research.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

How does the case of H.M. (who lost the ability to form new memories after brain surgery) illustrate the advantages of case study research?

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

List three concerns single-case researchers have raised about group comparison research.

Question 5

List three concerns group comparison researchers have raised about single-case research. How have single-case researchers responded to those concerns?

Question 6

List three reasons why single-case research is a useful tool in behavioral science research.

Question 7

Name and define three threats to internal validity to which single-case research is especially vulnerable.

Question 8

List three characteristics of high quality dependent measures for single-case research.

Question 9

Explain why it is important to use frequent and multiple measures of the dependent variables selected for single-case research.

Question 10

Describe a single-case study that uses high quality measurement.

Question 11

Explain the role of replication in single-case research. Describe the criteria for a good replication study.

Question 12

Explain why a researcher would include both a test and a control case in case study research.

Question 13

Explain how including a control case in case study research can result in an analog to experimental research.

Question 14

Explain how the impact of the treatment variable can be used to address possible threats to internal validity in single-case research.

Question 15

In single-case research, under what conditions is a treatment likely to be the most plausible cause of any observed change to a dependent variable?

Question 16

Describe the treatment conditions that lead to greater control in single-case research.

Question 17

Distinguish between the descriptive, explanatory, and effectiveness purposes of case study research.

Question 18

Describe the criteria a researcher should use for selecting cases to study in case study research.

Question 19

Define unit of analysis for case study research and explain how researchers can determine the unit that is most appropriate for their study.

Question 20

Describe a case study that focuses on a group or organization and indicate the possible units of analysis that might be used in that study.

Question 21

What is an embedded case study? When would it be used?

Question 22

Describe a well-formulated data collection plan. What information should be identified in that plan?

Question 23

Imagine you are planning a complex case study that requires several researchers. Describe the factors that are important to consider as you select your case study research team.

Question 24

Describe the role of hypothesis confirmation and disconfirmation in designing a high-quality case study.

Question 25

What is a chain of evidence in data collection for a case study? Why it is important to maintain a chain of evidence?

Question 26

Describe the general research design used for single-case experiments.

Question 27

Describe a study that uses an A-B-A single-case experimental design.

Question 28

Distinguish between and A-B and A-B-A single-case experimental designs. What factors affect which design is used in a single-case experiment?

Question 29

List three criteria that can be used to indicate that the treatment was effective in an A-B single-case experimental design.

Question 30

Distinguish between A-B-A design and A-B-C-B single-case experimental designs.

Question 31

What is a multiple baseline single-case experimental design? Why would a researcher choose this design?

Question 32

What threats to the internal validity of a single-case experiment can be addressed by using a multiple baseline design?

Question 33

What is a simultaneous treatments single-case experimental design? What threats to the internal validity of a single-case experiment can be addressed by using this design?

Question 34

What two characteristics of a treatment indicate that a simultaneous treatments single-case experimental design is not appropriate?

Question 35

What is a changing criterion single-case experimental design? How can it be used to assess treatment effectiveness in a single-case experiment?

Question 36

Describe two weaknesses of a changing criterion single-case experimental design.

Question 37

What is the purpose of establishing a baseline period in a single-case experiment? What are the characteristics of a stable baseline?

Question 38

Imagine you have designed a single-case experiment and have established the baseline for the dependent variable. Your baseline indicates an upward trend. What does this suggest about the utility of your baseline and what can you do to address this issue?

Question 39

Describe how data from single-case research are typically analyzed.

Question 40

Explain how pattern matching is used to evaluate the outcome in single-case research.

Question 41

Explain how explanation building is used to evaluate the outcome in single-case research.

Question 42

Describe the four aspects of analyzing qualitative data from a single case study.

Question 43

Describe how bias can affect the interpretation of qualitative data in single case research. How can researchers address possible bias?

Question 44

Explain how visual data analysis can be used to evaluate the outcome of single-case research.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about the use of single-case methods in behavioral science research is TRUE?

A) From its beginning, research in scientific psychology has focused on the average behavior of groups of people rather than on individual behavior.
B) Most single-case research in behavioral science has been conducted by cognitive psychologists.
C) One of the strengths cited in support of single-case research is the generalizability of its results.
D) Single-case research often takes a longitudinal approach that allows for the study of how phenomena change or develop over time.

Question 46

By the 1960s, the group-comparison approach that had been used in clinical psychology for the prior two decades began to lose favor among some psychologists. Their objections to the use of the group-comparison approach included

A) questioning whether it was ethical to withhold or delay treatment for members of no-treatment control groups.
B) the fact that for rare diagnoses it was often impossible to the find the relatively large number of patients required for group-comparison research.
C) noting that clinical practice focuses on individuals, so clinical research should focus on individual behavior.
D) all of the above.

Question 47

Recently, there has been a renewed interested in single-case research. Which of the following is NOT a reason for this change?

A) Most contemporary research has grown out of a cognitive perspective.
B) Today's clinical psychologists often use behavior modification techniques in their practice.
C) Group comparison research takes a short-term perspective and so is seen as irrelevant to practitioners who are interested in change over time.
D) Some researchers believe it is ethically questionable to assign clients to a no treatment control group.

Question 48

Most single-case experimental research tends to use the ________ modality of measurement.

A) self-report
B) behavioral
C) physiological
D) implicit cognition

Question 49

Single-case experiments take a(n) _______ approach.

A) nomothetic
B) idiographic
C) cognitive-perceptual
D) both a and b, but not c

Question 50

Single-case research is relatively unpopular in contemporary psychology because it is seen as being

A) low in generalizability.
B) too over-controlled to produce meaningful results.
C) too focused on short-term results rather than long-term change.
D) not very useful for exploratory research.

Question 51

Critics of single-case research point to its

A) low generalizability.
B) emphasis on rigor.
C) focus on hypothesis development.
D) short-term focus.

Question 52

Case study research is sometimes viewed as too uncontrolled. Which of the following steps could one take to address concerns about its internal validity?

A) carefully chose the case you want to study
B) be confident in your own judgment and downplay other's input
C) include a control case
D) test only exploratory hypotheses

Question 53

Single-case research in clinical psychology is especially vulnerable to which threat(s) to internal validity?

A) history
B) maturation
C) statistical regression
D) all of the above

Question 54

An advantage of single-case research is that it can

A) be placed in a social or historical context.
B) highlight cases that contradict accepted theories.
C) suggest hypotheses for future experimental research.
D) do all of the above

Question 55

Which of the following threats to internal validity is LEAST likely to be of concern in single-case research?

A) instrumentation
B) history
C) maturation
D) statistical regression

Question 56

The internal validity of single-case research is enhanced when

A) only one dependent variable is assessed.
B) all the cases study are very similar to one another.
C) the research focuses on a chronic problem.
D) the treatment is modified to meet the needs of each research participant.

Question 57

The internal validity of single-case research is enhanced when the

A) researcher's clinical judgment is used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment.
B) research includes multiple cases rather than just one.
C) research focuses on an acute problem.
D) effect of the treatment takes some time to appear.

Question 58

The internal validity of single-case research is enhanced when

A) multiple follow-ups are conducted after the end of the treatment program.
B) the dependent variable is assessed only at the beginning and end of treatment.
C) the research focuses on a single behavior rather than multiple behaviors relevant to the problem being treated.
D) the effects of the treatment are small, so as not to overwhelm the research participant.

Question 59

Data for single case research can include

A) the behavior of research participants.
B) information from non-researchers who have the opportunity to observe the behavior of research participants.
C) official records, such as school reports about the research participants.
D) all of the above.

Question 60

Data for single case research can include

A) official records of organizations.
B) artifacts (things people produce either intentionally or unintentionally).
C) documents other than official records, such as emails.
D) all of the above.

Question 61

The cases to be studied in single-case research should be selected

A) based on their relevance for the hypothesis to be tested.
B) randomly from the general population.
C) randomly from whatever groups of people are available to the researcher.
D) based on their similarity to the "average" person in the population.

Question 62

Single-case research uses formal, well-defined measures of the dependent variable to establish

A) objectivity.
B) impact.
C) control.
D) replicability.

Question 63

To enhance validity, measurement in single-case research should be

A) subjective.
B) based on one or two assessments.
C) based on multiple sources of information.
D) all of the above

Question 64

In case study research, a test case is analogous to a(n) ________ in group-comparison research.

A) control group
B) experimental group
C) moderator variable
D) outlier

Question 65

You set out to replicate the findings of a case study. Your best approach to establishing the validity of the original study is to

A) use subjective assessments of the new case.
B) select a case that is very different from the original case.
C) use only a short baseline.
D) do all of the above

Question 66

In case study research, the advantage of using multiple dependent variables is that

A) observed changes are less likely to be due to confounds.
B) a shorter baseline can be established.
C) acute rather than chronic dependent variables can be assessed.
D) you need fewer assessments of any of the included variables.

Question 67

Unlike control groups in experimental research, the use of control cases in single-case research

A) cannot aid in assessing the impact of a treatment.
B) is sometimes undesirable because of ethical concerns.
C) cannot be used to rule out alternative explanations for a phenomenon.
D) all of the above

Question 68

Which of the following statements about treatment impact as an indicator of internal validity in single-case research is FALSE?

A) A large impact is more indicative of validity than is a small impact.
B) A treatment that has an immediate impact is more likely to be valid than one that has a delayed impact.
C) A treatment that has long-term effects is more likely to be valid than one that has only short-term effects.
D) A treatment is more likely to be valid if it results in changes in an acute problem rather than a chronic problem.

Question 69

Which of the following statements about the treatment used in single-case research is FALSE?

A) Ideally, the researcher should manipulate the treatment like an independent variable.
B) The researcher and the research participant should collaborate to develop the most effective treatment plan.
C) Researchers much ensure that the treatment is implemented exactly as designed, with no deviations.
D) If the treatment it theory-based, it should be designed to include all elements that the theory holds to be essential for success.

Question 70

Case studies can be used to

A) describe the events that take place in a situation.
B) test hypotheses.
C) evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
D) do any of the above.

Question 71

When designing case study research, one should

A) look for situations that allow for continuous assessment and provide multiple sources of information as a way of enhancing internal validity.
B) avoid manipulating an independent variable to minimizing experimenter effects.
C) try to find replication cases that are as similar as possible to the test case as a way of maximizing homogeneity.
D) try to find control cases that differ from the test case as a way of maximizing heterogeneity.

Question 72

In case study research, the unit of analysis is the

A) measure used to operationally define the dependent variable.
B) level of aggregation (e.g., individual worker, work group) at which data are to be collected.
C) number of included control cases.
D) number of assessments made during the course of the study.

Question 73

An embedded case study

A) only assesses measures that are naturally part of the research setting, such as number of units produced by a factory.
B) uses participant observation as a means of collecting data.
C) studies the same question or hypothesis at different levels of analysis.
D) uses the test case as its own control, similar to a within-subjects experimental design.

Question 74

Professor Kinsey was interested in how a board of directors determined the compensation package for its top executives. She evaluated the board's overall decision as well as the input of each individual board member. Professor Kinsey conducted a(n)

A) multiple baseline study.
B) embedded case study.
C) test/control case study.
D) pattern matching study.

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT an important factor to consider when establishing an effective case study team?

A) thoroughly training all team members
B) differentiating the roles and responsibilities of junior and senior team members
C) ensuring there is sufficient time to discuss the case during project development
D) involving all team members at all stages of the project

Question 76

The data collection plan for a case study

A) links each dependent variable to its operational definition.
B) lists the sources of information available for each operational definition.
C) specifies when data are to be collected from each source of information.
D) does all of the above.

Question 77

Which of the following statements about case studies is TRUE?

A) It is important to look for evidence that might disconfirm the hypothesis as well as evidence that might support it.
B) Control cases that differ markedly from the test case enhance the external validity of the study.
C) To maintain naturalism one should avoid using objective measures as much as possible.
D) One should ignore any information that arises that is not part of the data collection plan.

Question 78

John experienced a head injury that resulted in a sudden ability to expertly play piano even though he had no prior music training. A neuroscientist now has the unexpected opportunity to study this case. He should

A) decline because he does not have baseline data about John's abilities.
B) avoid interviewing John's physicians because their assessments might bias his conclusions.
C) complete several assessments before drawing conclusions about the case.
D) find a control case of a person who was trained to play piano.

Question 79

It is important to maintain a clear chain of evidence in a case study because doing so

A) ensures that the data were collected as specified in the data collection plan.
B) provides clear linkages between the conclusions drawn from the study and the evidence that supports those conclusions.
C) ensures that all the relevant data were collected.
D) does all of the above.

Question 80

Of the following, a single-case experiment is MOST similar to a(n)

A) between-subjects experimental design.
B) within-subjects experimental design.
C) independent groups quasi-experimental design.
D) patched-up quasi-experimental design.