Chapter 12

• Small N designs


  Test only one or a very few subjects, the behavior of one or a few subjects is studied much more intensely
• Small N designs


  • Used in the laboratory, clinical, psychophysics, and other field settings
  • Can be used to study both human and animal behavior
  • Used most extensively in experimentation using principles of operant conditioning
• Baseline of behavior


  • A measure of behavior as it normally occurs without the experimental manipulation
  • Control condition used to assess the impact of the experimental condition
• AB design


  1. Baseline condition (A) measured first

  2. Followed by measurements during the experimental intervention (B)

  3. No return to baseline condition
• ABA design


  1. Baseline condition (A) measured first

  2. Followed by measurements during the experimental condition (B)

  3. Followed by a return to the baseline condition (A) to verify that the change in behavior is linked to the experimental condition
• ABAB design


  1. Baseline condition (A) measured first

  2. Followed by measurements during a treatment condition (B)

  3. Followed by a return to baseline condition (A) to verify that the change in behavior is linked to the experimental condition

  4. Followed by a return to treatment condition (B)
• ABABA design


  1. Baseline condition (A) measured first

  2. Followed by measurements during a treatment condition (B)

  3. Followed by a return to baseline condition (A)

  4. Followed by return to the treatment condition (B)

  5. Followed by a final baseline measurement condition (A) to verify that the change in behavior is linked to the experimental condition
• Multiple Baseline Design


  A series of baselines and treatments are compared, but once a treatment is established, it is not withdrawn
• Changing Criterion Design


  A design used to modify behavior when the behavior cannot be changed all at once; instead, the behavior will be modified in increments, and the criterion for success will intentionally be changed as the behavior is modified
• Discrete Trials Design


  A design that relies on presenting and averaging across many, many experimental trials, repeated applications result in a reliable picture of the effects of the independent variable
• Large N design


  A design in which the behavior of groups of subjects is compared
• Aggregate effects


  The pooled findings from many subjects
• Sir Ronald Fisher Analysis of Variance allowed inferential testing of large N data