Suppose you obtained the following results in an ABAB design assessing the effectiveness of family therapy in reducing a child's temper tantrums.Which interpretations is/are plausible?

A) History could NOT have caused the change.
B) The intervention may have been effective, but with irreversible effects.
C) History is the only plausible cause of the change.
D) Maturation caused the change.

Question

Suppose you obtained the following results in an ABAB design assessing the effectiveness of family therapy in reducing a child's temper tantrums.Which interpretations is/are plausible?

A) History could NOT have caused the change. 
B) The intervention may have been effective, but with irreversible effects. 
C) History is the only plausible cause of the change. 
D) Maturation caused the change.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ABAB design involves alternating baseline measurements and treatment measurements. In this case, the intervention (family therapy) was introduced during the second "A" phase and was followed by a reduction in temper tantrums. As such, it is plausible to conclude that the intervention may have been effective in reducing temper tantrums. However, because the design is not a true experimental design, it is impossible to rule out alternative explanations for the change, such as irreversible effects of the intervention or other extraneous variables that were not measured.

Suppose You Obtained the Following Results in an ABAB Design