Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Doing Research in Behavior...

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Doing Research in Behavior Modification

Chapter 22


Introduction• Phases of Behavior Modification Program:

– Screening phase• Clarifying the problem and determining who should treat it

– Baseline phase• Determining the initial level of the behavior

– Treatment phase• Intervention strategy is initiated

– Follow-up phase• Evaluating the persistence of desirable behavioral changes after the termination of the program

• A behavior modification research project attempts to demonstrate convincingly that it is the treatment, rather than some uncontrolled variables, that was responsible for the change in the behavior in question.


Reversal-Replication (ABAB) Research Designs

• Baseline (A) is followed by treatment (B), return to baseline (A), and then treatment again (B)

• Allows for replication of treatment effect

• Replication makes it clearer that treatment caused change in behavior


Reversal-Replication (ABAB) Research Design

Figure 22-1 – Hypothetical data showing a reversal-replication (ABAB) design for Kelly. “Suppose that the hypothetical results of this manipulation by the teacher are those shown in Figure 22-1.” (page 270)


Reversal-Replication (ABAB) Research Design

• Considerations– How long should the baseline phase last?

• Until a stable pattern or trend opposite that is expected from treatment can be seen

• Shorter baselines in studies of behavior previously researched

• Availability of time may shorten baseline time• Ethical considerations

– Some behaviors are dangerous, and it may be unethical to leave them untreated for long periods of time

– How many reversals and replications are necessary?• Fewer replications are required if large effects are observed and a lot of previous research exists in the area

• Limitations– Withdrawal of treatment may not lead to return to baseline

– Withdrawal may be undesirable or unethical


How Long Should theBaseline Phase Last?

Figure 22-2 – Hypothetical data for five children. “How long should the baseline phase last? The difficulties of answering this question might be appreciated best by viewing Figure 22-2.” (page 271)


Multiple Baseline Designs

• Conduct more than one AB design concurrently with treatments beginning at different times

• Useful when reversals cannot be done


Multiple Baseline Designs

• Across behaviors– Baselining several similar behaviors within an individual

• Across subjects– Applying the same treatment to the same behavior problems of two or more individuals

• Across situations– Baselining one type of behavior for a single individual in more than one setting


Multiple Baseline DesignAcross Behaviors

Figure 22-3 – Hypothetical data illustrating a multiple-baseline-across-behaviors design for Kelly. “The resulting baselines might have been those shown in Figure 22-3.” (page 273)


Changing-Criterion Designs

• Change the criterion for success over time and look for a relationship between criteria changes and behavior change

• Can increase or decrease:– Frequency requirements– Rate requirements– Duration requirements– Etc.


Changing-Criterion Design

Figure 22-4 – Mean number of revolutions per minute pedaled on a stationary bicycle by a boy. “To further demonstrate the experimental control of thereinforcement program, as indicated in Figure 22-4, a reversal to baseline phase was included in .…” (page 276)


Alternating-Treatment Designs

• Compare the effects of two or more treatment conditions considerably more rapidly than in ABAB design– Applied at alternating times within the same time period

– Also known as multielement design

• Does not require reversal• Several treatments can be evaluated at the same time

• Disadvantage: treatment interactions


Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Data are typically analyzed without control groups and statistical techniques used in other areas of psychology

• Behavior modifiers are interested in understanding and improving the behavior of individuals, not groups



• Evaluate treatments on two basic criteria:– Scientific

• Guidelines used by a researcher to evaluate whether or not there has been a convincing demonstration that the treatment was responsible for the changes

• Judgment made by visually inspecting the graph of the results.

• Guidelines for inspecting data—there is greater confidence that a treatment effect has been observed:– the greater the number of times that results are replicated– the fewer the overlapping points between baseline and treatment phases

– the sooner the effect is observed following the introduction of treatment

– the larger the effect is in comparison to baseline– the more precisely the treatment procedures are specified– the more reliable the response measures– the more consistent the findings are with the existing data and accepted behavioral theory

– Practical• Changes to client, other significant individuals in client’s life, and society in general



• Social Validity– Behavior modifiers need to socially validate their work on at least three levels (Wolf, 1978):•Must examine the extent to which target behaviors identified for treatment programs are really the most important for client and society

•Must be concerned with the acceptability to the client of the particular procedures used

•Must ensure that the consumers are satisfied with the results

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Doing Research in Behavior...

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