Test Tuesday

Given the following example, could you use a reversal design?

  During baseline a client cannot do a single math problem.  You are wanting to put in an intervention to increase the number of addition problems a client can do.  Could a reversal design be used in this situation?  Why or why not?

No.  A reversal design can NOT be used if the behavior is learned and irreversible. 

Need a recap on the reversal design.  Check out this link.  

http://bcbatestprep.blogspot.com/2014/03/reversal-design.html

Test Tuesday

If you are trying to measure a continuous behavior that does not have a discrete beginning and ending, which method is best to use?

A.  Any continuous recording

B.  Whole-interval recording

C. MTS

D. Frequency

E.  Rate

F.  Partial-Interval Recording

B.  Whole-interval recording

Whole-interval recording is useful for high rate behaviors that cannot be discretely counted.

Questions?  Check out the blog post on continuous measurement recording. 

http://bcbatestprep.blogspot.com/2014/03/continuous-measurement-procedures.html

Multiple Baseline Design

Busy week this week, so today we get screenshots of the lesson!  Woo hoo! :)

Multiple baseline designs... My favorite! :)

Test Tuesday

What is contingent observation and when should it be used?

This is when the child is no longer able to participate in the desired activity, but they are able to watch the activities that are still going on. 

This can be used when you are in an environment that it would be hard to remove the child from, for example a birthday party.  This can also be used when the child wants to engage in the reinforcing activity, and instead the punishment is that they have to watch their friend engage in the fun activity.  

Example: The child is jumping with friends at the trampoline park.  The child hits a friend, and the mom makes him sit on a bench next to the trampolines for a certain amount of time.  The child is still able to watch all of his friends jump, but he is not able to jump himself. 

Need a refresher on time-out procedures?

http://bcbatestprep.blogspot.com/2014/02/time-out-procedures.html

Reversal Design

Fourth Edition Task List

Section 1

B-04

Reversal Design

(Also known as ABA design)

How does it demonstrate experimental control?

Demonstrates experimental control by repeatedly introducing and withdrawing the experimental control.

Also, confounding variables are unlikely to repeatedly occur at the same times as the experimental variable

The following visual represents a typical ABA or Reversal Design. 

A= Baseline

B=Intervention

A= Baseline

So, the reversal design sounds fantastic.  What is the catch?

You cannot use the reversal design with variables that are irreversible or it is unethical to return to baseline.

Examples of when reversal designs would NOT work...

If you teach a child how to read words, it is irreversible, so a reversal design would not work.

If during baseline, the student knew how to read 3 words.  Then you implement the intervention and now the student can read 12 words.  You cannot reverse back to baseline because even if you remove the intervention the student has been taught to read 12 words and they will continue to read 12 words. It is irreversible.

If a child is engaging in head-banging during baseline 30 times per minute.  A doctor has determined that they are very close to going blind in one eye due to the intensity of the head-bangs. Therefore, if during the intervention you reduce the head-banging to 1x per hour, it would be unethical to remove the intervention and allow the child to head-bang up to 30x per minute.  In this situation, a reversal design would not work. 

Resources:  Cooper J.O, Heron T.E, Heward W.L. Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson; 2007.

Experimental Control

First of all, what is experimental control?

Experimental control is when the independent variable is what causes the change in the dependent variable and not any other confounding variables.  It is achieved when a predictable change in behavior can be reliably produced by manipulating the independent variable and measuring the effects on the dependent variable.

Remind me... What is the independent and dependent variable again?

Dependent variable:  Looking for effects on the dependent variable that might be caused by the change in the independent variable

Independent variable:  Variable that the experiment manipulates.  THIS IS WHAT YOU CHANGE!

So, why is experimental control so important?

Experimental control is a necessary component of ABA because it is the highest level of scientific understanding.  

Resources:  Cooper J.O, Heron T.E, Heward W.L. Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson; 2007.

Test Tuesday

If you are taking data on low-frequency and short duration behaviors, what type of recording should you use?

Frequency.

Questions about this topic?  Visit this blog post.  

http://bcbatestprep.blogspot.com/2014/02/frequency-rate-duration-latency-and.html

Continuous Measurement Procedures

Fourth Edition Task List

Section 1

A-12

Continuous measurement is conducted in a way in which ALL instances of a response class are detected during an observation period.

The following chart shows the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of continuous measurement.

Questions?  Just leave a comment, and I will get back to you! :)

Resources:  Cooper J.O, Heron T.E, Heward W.L. Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson; 2007.