A clinician using an ABAB design to reduce the frequency of suicidal thoughts in a client finds that in suicidal thoughts, the second "A" condition, remain as low as they had been at the end of the first "B" condition. The clinician can be reasonably sure that:

Question

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The ABAB design is a single subject experimental design where the independent variable is introduced and withdrawn multiple times to assess its effect on the dependent variable. When the behavior of interest remains low even after the withdrawal of the intervention, it suggests that the intervention might not be controlling the behavior, and the observed change might be due to other factors or regression to the mean. Therefore, the clinician cannot be reasonably sure that the independent variable is controlling the suicidal thoughts in this scenario. Choice A is incorrect because the permanence of behavior change cannot be established based on a single ABAB design. Choice B is also incorrect because the design does not provide definitive evidence of causality. Choice C may or may not be true based on the clinical judgment and additional assessment of the client's needs.

A Clinician Using an ABAB Design to Reduce the Frequency