Changing Criteria Design Tristram Jones, Ph. D Kaplan university PS512, Unit VI

What is Changing Criteria Design? A research design primarily used in applied behavior analysis. The rate of target behavior is progressively changed to some new criterion (up or down). For example, the criterion for the number of cigarettes a person smokes each day could be progressively lowered over several months. The effects of the independent variable are shown if the subject meets or falls below the criterion for any set of days (e.g., the criterion is 20 cigarettes for week 3, but changes to 10 by week 6).

We can achieve this as follows: 1.Carefully define target behavior: Cigarette smoking in this case! 2. Determine criterion level for first subphase— In other words, if lady smokes 20 cigs per week in baseline measurement, (mean ) that’s your initial criterion. Remember what MEAN means: In statistics, the mean is the mathematical average of a set of numbers. the average is calculated by adding up two or more scores and dividing the total by the number of scores.

There are OTHER ways to calculate this in your text—I offered you the simplest! So what happens next!? Well, PART THREE : Establish your criterion levels for the subsequent subphases! (In the direction of the goal, up or down—in this case DOWN one assumes!)

You need at least two changing-criteria subphases, although more than three are typical! STEP FOUR: BEGIN THE INTERVENTION! This obvious means that the contingencies to increase or decrease behavior are applied! And what is a contingency in behavioral science? Let’s review: In behavioral science, a contingency is a relationship between a behavior and its effect. (In this case, it’s what you do to lessen smoking enjoyment!)

You might prefer simpler insights, so let’s put it this way: A contingency is what happens when a behavior meets an effect! Got it?

STEP FIVE Once you have met the level of step 4, proceed to establish a NEW criterion level. Most researchers go by gentle, logical increments in raising or reducing targets! You can use your own best judgment to achieve this—it’s what the pros do! How long before shifting levels? At least two out of three consecutive sessions must meet criterion. But longer is better, because each phase is a baseline for next phase, get it?

STEP SIX Continue through each subphase until the terminal goal is achieved! See how easy? JUST ONE TO JUMP START MY DAY AND I’M GOOD!

Of course, many criterion designs aim to increase rather than decrease a behavior

Here’s a realy simple CCD chart—let’s assume some kid is being encouraged to improve hs history knowledge (if we can imagine some kid being taught history! )

And now, because I couldn’t resist—here’s what “accommodation” comes from! The need for good research on the effects of assessment accommodations has exploded during the past five years. With the enactment of IDEA ’97 has come an urgency to know whether the use of certain accommodations threatens test validity or score comparability. Similarly, there is a need to know whether specific accommodations are useful for individual students. Rigorous research designs are needed to ensure that accommodation research findings are useful to states and districts.— Assessment Accommodations Research: Considerations for Design and Analysis NCEO Technical Report 26 Published by the National Center on Educational Outcomes

And now, in the interest of true-blue seminar observance, let’s ask ourselves this: “How is changing criteria design similar to a multiple baseline design?”

ANSWER: Changing criteria designs were developed by Hartmann and Hall as a unique type of multiple baseline design—and are in fact a variation on the classic AB design since baseline is followed by treatment phase, right? The main distinction is the division of the B phase into subphases, right?

How is that again? It’s like a multiple baseline design you say??? Okay, imagine a multiple baseline across behaviors design—think of the “staircase” as depicting the IV used on first one DV, then the next one. NOW…think of the same staircase only with first one criterion, then the next criterion. One can easily grasp the multiple-baseline resemblance here, except that the successive baselines result from higher levels of the same behavior!

How is it like a reversal design?

ANSWER: They are both Single-subject research, of course, but more specifically, the CHANGING CRITERIA DESIGN CAN IN FACT BE reversed! As changes occur, let’s say in decreasing number of smokes per day, how do you know this isn’t naturally occurring or related to some validity threat, like history for instance? EASY! See if it works in reverse! They are Single-subject research, of

Advantages:  Withdrawal of treatment isn’t necessary.  Great way to simply EVALUATE contingency theories!  Permits gradual change in behaviors  Combines well with psychoeducational programs!

DISADVANTAGES   Not all changes can be effected slowly  Time consuming  Not appropriate to designs that don’t use contingent procedures to increase or decrease behavior.

Poor choices would include: Studies in which small increments of improvement cannot be easily engendered by contingencies. Studies in which the contingency goals could reasonably be expected to be reached immediately. and…..

The proof of the pudding in CRITERION DESIGN depends on: PERFORMANCE must CLOSELY track changes in criteria…if they are not synchronized with your changes, they might have happened anyway.

The Splendors of Changing Criteria: Great for self monitoring procedures because the graphs are reinforcing! Perfect whenever initial criterion estimates might be difficult to gage, or when subjects exhibit surprising progress that suggests the initial criterion was unnecessarily modest. When evaluation of IV is important When behaviors are already in subject’s repertoire When withdrawal is not an option