Deck 11: Single-System Designs

Question 1

The clinical research model:

A)is a theoretical orientation yet to be put to use in practice.
B)merges research with practice.
C)utilizes single-system designs.
D)merges research with practice, and utilizes single-system designs.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The main point about selecting a single-system design is that:

A)single-system designs are only appropriate for a narrow range of client problems.
B)single-system designs are very flexible and can be adapted to many practice situations.
C)single-system designs require an intervention based on operant conditioning.
D)single-system designs should be selected after the data are collected.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Why are case histories inferior to single-system designs as a source of clinical knowledge

A)Case histories exhibit only to a limited degree the characteristics that distinguish science from other sources of knowledge.
B)Case histories are generally only prepared on cases of success, not failures.
C)Case histories often fail to report valid and reliable data to support conclusions.
D)All of the answers represent reasons why case histories are inferior.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is a disadvantage of group experimental designs that single-system designs may avoid

A)The research design fails to capture the process by which change was induced.
B)It is too time-consuming and costly to secure enough cases for treatment and control groups.
C)Experiments using groups cannot control for threats to internal validity.
D)The research design fails to capture the process by which change was induced, and it is too time-consuming and costly to secure enough cases for treatment and control groups.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the steps in the clinical research process

A)establish goals
B)introduce treatment
C)assess treatment effects
D)random assignment of subjects

Question 6

Proximate goals in clinical research are:

A)the final goals to be achieved through treatment and for which evidence is sought in short term goals.
B)personal goals of the clinician.
C)personal goals of the client.
D)intermediate goals whose achievement is evidence of progress toward long term treatment goals.

Question 7

A fundamental force behind the development of single-system designs is:

A)researchers are looking for a more generalizable model than experiments.
B)human service professionals want to know how a client is responding to an intervention
C)service providers are facing expectations to publish in journals
D)survey research is too expensive.

Question 8

Low cost and unobtrusiveness are reasons for considering this approach to data collection in single-system designs.

A)observation
B)paper and pencil measures
C)client self reports
D)existing records

Question 9

When a direct measure of a target behavior is not available, what can the practitioner-scientist do to enhance the quality of indirect measurement

A)Use multiple measurement tools.
B)Extend the baseline.
C)Take fewer measurements.
D)None of the answers are things that would enhance the quality of indirect measurement.

Question 10

Single-system design development has been largely motivated by:

A)researcher dissatisfaction with quantitative measurement.
B)practitioner advocates of Freudian theory.
C)growing demand for accountability in human services.
D)dissatisfaction with qualitative methods.

Question 11

Single-system designs are a special form of which of the following research designs

A)true experimental designs
B)quasi-experimental designs
C)surveys
D)field observation designs

Question 12

Which of the following types of paper and pencil instruments should be avoided for single-system design applications

A)rapid assessment instruments
B)projective tests such as the Rorschach Inkblot and Thematic Apperception Test
C)standardized scales
D)all of the answers are paper and pencil instruments that should be avoided

Question 13

The stance toward practice of the clinical-research model includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A)quasi-experimental designs should be used.
B)research and practice are viewed as parts of the same problem solving process.
C)problems are specified in terms that are concrete and observable.
D)data is collected systematically in order to monitor intervention.

Question 14

Which of the following reasons applies to the use of existing paper and pencil data collection systems of measurement for single-system designs

A)They are unobtrusive.
B)They are tailored to the unique qualities of the client.
C)The fact that measurement is standardized helps them contribute to accumulation of knowledge.
D)They generate an exact frequency count of the behavior being measured.

Question 15

Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable procedure for a baseline under a single-system design

A)more than 10 baseline measures
B)a baseline made up of daily behavior frequency counts of problem behavior
C)a baseline made up of daily frequency counts of appropriate behavior
D)a single pretest and a single posttest measure

Question 16

How do goals under the clinical-research model differ from goals that might be established under traditional practice

A)Only clinical-research goals deal with long-term outcomes.
B)Clinical-research goals cannot be operationalized.
C)Clinical-research goals are more specific and precisely defined than goals in traditional practice.
D)Goals under the clinical-research model represent a radical departure from traditional practice.

Question 17

Which of the following is generally the most valid and reliable measurement technique to use with single-system designs

A)observation
B)paper and pencil measures
C)client self reports
D)existing records

Question 18

In clinical research, the baseline phase is:

A)a series of measurements of the client's condition during the time treatment is in progress.
B)a series of measurements of the client's condition prior to the beginning of treatment.
C)a series of measurements of the client's condition after treatment has ended.
D)a series of measurements of the client's condition a year or more after an apparently successful treatment to assess long term effects.

Question 19

Which of the following is a major issue to be settled in establishing a baseline

A)What to measure for a baseline.
B)How to measure the variable for the baseline.
C)What intervention should be used.
D)What to measure for a baseline, and how to measure the variable for the baseline.

Question 20

Which term is synonymous with "clinical research model"

A)empirical practice model
B)qualitative evaluation model
C)practice-intervention model
D)case history model

Question 21

In single-system research, a treatment that leads clients to fully achieve the goals that have been set for them is called:

A)therapeutically effective.
B)experimentally effective.
C)statistically effective.
D)substantively effective.

Question 22

The generalizability of single-system experiments is:

A)nonexistent.
B)very high if the treatment effects are strong.
C)only proved through successful replication.
D)not an issue.

Question 23

Which of the following would indicate that a single-system treatment was effective with the least amount of change from baseline to treatment

A)statistical effectiveness
B)experimental effectiveness
C)therapeutic effectiveness
D)ultimate effectiveness

Question 24

The major distinguishing characteristic of the changing criterion design is:

A)the client is led to achieve the final treatment goal in stages by achieving a series of subgoals.
B)that it ends in a nontreatment phase.
C)that it can accommodate several treatments either serially or in combination.
D)that it is very flexible and can be applied to virtually any client problem.

Question 25

Reversal designs are considered superior to the basic AB design because reversal designs:

A)are easier to apply.
B)can be used with irreversible treatments.
C)demonstrate more conclusively the efficacy of the treatment.
D)have fewer ethical problems.

Question 26

In direct replication of single-system experiments:

A)different clinicians apply the treatment to different clients.
B)only the individual clients vary from one experiment to another.
C)a successful treatment is applied to different disorders.
D)a clinician applies a successful treatment in different settings.

Question 27

In single-system research, the criterion that determines whether a treatment is considered experimentally effective is:

A)client goals have been fully achieved.
B)there is pronounced improvement in a client's condition.
C)ultimate goals have not been achieved.
D)client goals have been fully achieved and pronounced improvement in a client's condition, together, define experimental effectiveness.

Question 28

In terms of assessing treatment effects, the most desirable type of baseline for a single-system design is:

A)a rising trend.
B)a stable one.
C)a descending trend.
D)an unstable one.

Question 29

All of these effects of using the clinical-research model tend to reduce resistance to using single-system designs EXCEPT:

A)the clinical-research model forces an explicit consideration of assumptions.
B)it increases rationality in selecting treatments.
C)it provides solid evidence whether or not the client has benefited from treatment.
D)all of the answers represent effects that work to reduce resistance.

Question 30

Which of the following exemplifies reversal designs

A)ABBB
B)ABA
C)ABAB
D)Both ABA and ABAB are reversal designs

Question 31

The application of the clinical research model is often impractical because:

A)clients are reluctant to participate in research.
B)it is difficult to integrate single-system designs into practice settings.
C)the most rigorous single-system designs are difficult to apply because of irreversible treatments.
D)baseline measurements are very difficult to obtain.

Question 32

In systematic replication of single-system experiments:

A)only the individual clients vary from one experiment to another.
B)a treatment is reapplied to the same client.
C)an unsuccessful treatment is tried again.
D)a treatment is extended to different settings, practitioners, or client disorders.

Question 33

Should an Institutional Review Board (IRB)be involved in reviewing a single-system design for adherence to ethical standards Deciding this question should be based on the principle of ________________, according to Grigsby and Roof.

A)therapeutic effectiveness
B)least harm
C)risk-benefit
D)generalizability

Question 34

How many treatments should be implemented during the treatment phase of a single-system design

A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four

Question 35

Which of the following is a multiple treatment single-system design

A)ABACA
B)ABCD
C)A B A B BC B BC
D)All the answers represent multiple treatment designs.

Question 36

In general, clinician-researchers should choose the single-system design that:

A)has the most baseline measures.
B)is the most valid design.
C)has the fewest baseline measures.
D)requires no baseline measures.

Question 37

The first few letters of the alphabet are used to identify the various single-system designs. What does the letter B always symbolize

A)the period before the client contacts the clinician
B)a treatment phase
C)a nontreatment phase
D)a nonmeasurement phase

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT one of the advantages of the clinical research model

A)It promotes better service for clients.
B)It promotes research activity.
C)The results are immediately generalizable to other settings.
D)All of the answers represent advantages.

Question 39

In the evaluation of treating panic disorder that was discussed in Research in Practice 11.2, what type of single-system design was used in order to strengthen conclusions about causation

A)ABA reversal design
B)multiple baseline design across subjects
C)multiple treatment design
D)randomized treatment design

Question 40

When single-system designs and their replications are conducted, which of the following practices is considered crucial

A)Substantial information about client characteristics and background should be collected.
B)Treatments should be kept uniform across cases.
C)Standardized tests rather than observation should be used.
D)Substantial information about client characteristics and background should be collected, and treatments should be kept uniform across cases.

Question 41

Identify, explain, and evaluate the four ways available for measuring baseline data.

Question 42

Describe the clinical research model, specifying the four main components of it.

Question 43

Distinguish between reversal designs and multiple baseline designs.

Question 44

Explain the two main issues to be settled in establishing a baseline.

Question 45

Assess the clinical research model in terms of advantages and disadvantages.

Question 46

Describe the clinical research process by identifying and explaining its six basic stages.

Question 47

Why might traditional group experiments prove unsatisfactory to practitioners seeking to assess change in clients, and how do single-system designs overcome these problems

Question 48

What is a changing criterion design in single-system research, and what are the requirements for its use

Question 49

How can a researcher generalize from single-system designs

Question 50

Identify and distinguish between the three different criteria that can be used in assessing whether a treatment has been effective in a single-system design study.