Experimental Design
This design involves repeated measurement of behavior over time with at least one intervention phase.
What is a single-subject design?
This measurement records whether a behavior occurs during an entire interval.
What is whole interval recording?
This type of validity refers to whether results generalize to real-world settings.
What is external validity?
This is the variable manipulated by the researcher.
What is the independent variable?
This is the minimum number of criterion shifts typically needed to demonstrate control.
What is at least 3 changes in criterion?
This design uses phases labeled A-B-A-B to demonstrate experimental control.
What is a reversal (withdrawal) design?
This measurement records if behavior occurs at any point during an interval.
What is partial interval recording?
This occurs when repeated exposure to measurement conditions alters responding over time.
What is testing (or practice effects)?
This variable unintentionally affects the dependent variable.
What is a confounding variable?
This component of baseline logic uses existing data patterns to estimate how behavior would continue if no changes were introduced.
What is prediction?
This design introduces the intervention at different times across behaviors, settings, or participants.
What is a multiple baseline design?
This measurement captures the number of times a behavior occurs.
What is frequency (or count)?
This threat involves gradual changes in the organism that are unrelated to the intervention.
What is maturation?
This refers to how consistently an intervention is implemented.
What is treatment integrity?
This component is violated if behavior does not return to prior levels when the independent variable is removed.
What is verification?
This design is used when behavior cannot or should not be reversed.
What is a multiple baseline design?
This is the amount of time a behavior lasts.
What is duration?
This type of validity is strengthened by systematic replication across conditions.
What is external validity?
This type of variable systematically changes alongside the independent variable without being controlled.
What is an extraneous variable?
This dimension requires demonstrating a functional relation between variables.
What is analytic?
This design is most appropriate when ethical or practical constraints prevent withdrawal, but still provides limited evidence.
What is an AB design?
This system provides the best estimate of behavior distribution over time without continuous recording.
What is momentary time sampling?
This threat is minimized in single-subject designs through repeated measurement and replication.
What is internal validity threats (general control of confounds)?
This is required to ensure that different observers measure the same dependent variable consistently.
What is a precise operational definition?
Failure to identify the behavioral mechanism underlying a functional relation weakens this.
What is conceptually systematic?