In design of experiments , single-subject curriculum or single-case research design is a research design most often used in applied fields of psychology, education, and human behaviour in which the subject serves as his/her own control, rather than using another individual/group. Researchers use single-subject design because these designs are sensitive to individual organism differences vs group designs which are sensitive to averages of groups. The logic behind single subject designs is 1) Prediction, 2) Verification, and 3) Replication. The baseline data predicts behaviour by affirming the consequent. Verification refers to demonstrating that the baseline responding would have continued had no intervention been implemented. Replication occurs when a previously observed behaviour changed is reproduced. There can be large numbers of subjects in a research study using single-subject design, however—because the subject serves as their own control, this is still a single-subject design. These designs are used primarily to evaluate the effect of a variety of interventions in applied research.
19-416: Single-subject may refer to: Single-subject design , a research design in which the subject serves as his/her own control Single-subject dictionary , a specialized dictionary that has been designed and compiled to cover the terms of one particular subject field Single-subject literature , a work of writing upon a single subject Single-subject research ,
38-399: A Skinner Box. The chamber is an enclosure designed to hold a test animal (often a rodent , pigeon , or primate ). The interior of the chamber contains some type of device that serves the role of discriminative stimuli , at least one mechanism to measure the subject's behavior as a rate of response—such as a lever or key-peck switch—and a mechanism for the delivery of consequences —such as
57-444: A food pellet dispenser or a token reinforcer such as an LED light. Of historical interest is the cumulative recorder, an instrument used to record the responses of subjects graphically. Traditionally, its graphing mechanism has consisted of a rotating drum of paper equipped with a marking needle. The needle would start at the bottom of the page and the drum would turn the roll of paper horizontally. Each subject response would result in
76-463: A functional relation between the variables is inferred. Sometimes, visual inspection of the data demonstrates results that statistical tests fail to find. Features assessed during visual analysis include: Research designs are traditionally preplanned so that most of the details about to whom and when the intervention will be introduced are decided prior to the beginning of the study. However, in single-subject designs, these decisions are often made as
95-500: A group of research methods that are used extensively in the experimental analysis of behavior and applied behavior analysis Single-subject rule , a section present in many state constitutions within the United States of America Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Single-subject . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
114-451: A no-treatment control condition and a final best-treatment verification phase. Multiple baseline design involves simultaneous baseline measurement begins on two or more behaviours, settings, or participants. The IV is implemented on one behaviour, setting, or participant, while baseline continues for all others. Variations include the multiple probe design and delayed multiple baseline design. Changing criterion designs are used to evaluate
133-432: A treadmill is followed by delivery of electric shock, stepping off the treadmill becomes less frequent (punishment). And when stopping lever-pressing is followed by shock, lever-pressing is maintained or increased (negative reinforcement). Many variations and details of this process may be found in the main article. The most commonly used tool in animal behavioral research is the operant conditioning chamber —also known as
152-487: Is a science that studies the behavior of individuals across a variety of species. A key early scientist was B. F. Skinner who discovered operant behavior, reinforcers, secondary reinforcers, contingencies of reinforcement, stimulus control, shaping, intermittent schedules, discrimination, and generalization. A central method was the examination of functional relations between environment and behavior, as opposed to hypothetico-deductive learning theory that had grown up in
171-468: Is delivered just before a reflex-eliciting stimulus ( unconditioned stimulus ) such as food or pain. This typically done by pairing the two stimuli, as in Pavlov's experiments with dogs, where a bell was followed by food delivery. After repeated pairings, the conditioned stimulus comes to elicit the response. Operant conditioning (also, "instrumental conditioning") is a learning process in which behavior
190-510: Is said to have a drive, which causes its behavior, what then causes the drive? Skinner argued that many theories had the effect of halting research or generating useless research. Skinner's work did have a basis in theory, though his theories were different from those that he criticized. Mecca Chiesa notes that Skinner's theories are inductively derived, while those that he attacked were deductively derived. The theories that Skinner opposed often relied on mediating mechanisms and structures—such as
209-510: Is sensitive to, or controlled by its consequences. Specifically, behavior followed by some consequences becomes more frequent (positive reinforcement), behavior followed by other consequences becomes less frequent (punishment) and behavior not followed by yet other consequence becomes more frequent (negative reinforcement). For example, in a food-deprived subject, when lever-pressing is followed by food delivery lever-pressing increases in frequency (positive reinforcement). Likewise, when stepping off
SECTION 10
#1732793049379228-406: The comparative psychology of the 1920–1950 period. Skinner's approach was characterized by observation of measurable behavior which could be predicted and controlled. It owed its early success to the effectiveness of Skinner's procedures of operant conditioning , both in the laboratory and in behavior therapy . In classical or respondent conditioning , a neutral stimulus ( conditioned stimulus )
247-509: The ABA design with repeated reversals (ABAB) and including multiple treatments (ABCABC). AB designs, or reversal designs with no return to baseline, are not considered experimental. Functional control cannot be determined in AB designs because there is no replication. Alternating treatments design (ATD) compares the effects of two or more independent variables on the dependent variable. Variations include
266-484: The data are collected. In addition, there are no widely agreed-upon rules for altering phases, so conflicting ideas could emerge as to how a research experiment should be conducted in single-subject design. The major criticism of single-subject designs are: Historically, single-subject designs have been closely tied to the experimental analysis of behavior and applied behavior analysis . Experimental analysis of behavior The experimental analysis of behavior
285-426: The effects of an IV on the gradual improvement of a behavior already in the participant's repertoire. In order to determine the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, the researcher will graph the data collected and visually inspect the differences between phases. If there is a clear distinction between baseline and intervention, and then the data returns to the same trends/level during reversal,
304-573: The experimental analysis of behavior are based upon B.F. Skinner's philosophy of radical behaviorism , which is premised upon: The idea that Skinner's position is anti-theoretical is probably inspired by the arguments he put forth in his article Are Theories of Learning Necessary? However, that article did not argue against the use of theory as such, only against certain theories in certain contexts. Skinner argued that many theories did not explain behavior, but simply offered another layer of structure that itself had to be explained in turn. If an organism
323-411: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Single-subject&oldid=330154718 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Single-subject design Although there are no standards on
342-539: The marking needle moving vertically along the paper one tick. This makes the rate of response the slope of the graph. For example, a regular rate of response would cause the needle to move vertically at a regular rate, resulting in a straight diagonal line rising towards the right. An accelerating or decelerating rate of response would lead to a quadratic (or similar) curve. For the most part, cumulative records are no longer graphed using rotating drums, but are recorded electronically instead. Laboratory methods employed in
361-479: The specific statistics required for effect size calculation, it is best practice to include an effect size estimate. When reporting on findings obtained through single-subject designs, specific guidelines are used for standardization and to ensure completeness and transparency: Reversal design involves repeated measurement of behaviour in a given setting during three consecutive phases (ABA)- baseline, intervention, and return to baseline. Variations include extending
#378621