CHAPTER 6: Single-Subject Design Behavior Management: Principles and Practices of Positive Behavior Supports Third Edition John J. Wheeler David D. Richey

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-2 Objectives Describe the importance of measuring behavior change through the use of single- subject designs Understand the rationale for evidence-based practice in the field of special education List and describe the applications of single- subject designs within experimental and classroom settings

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-3 Evidence-Based Practice The term evidence-based practice (EBP) originated in the field of medicine relative to medical education EBP has been supported in the 2004 IDEA and is aimed at the use of scientifically validated practices in the classroom

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-4 Basic Elements of Single- Subject Designs Independent Variable-refers to then intervention or treatment that is being employed Dependent Variable-refers to the target behavior being measured Baseline-refers to the initial phase or assessment before treatment ensues

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-5 Basic Elements of Single- Subject Designs Intervention or Treatment Phase-this phase is where the actual intervention or treatment is implemented A=Baseline B=Treatment

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-6 A-B Design

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-7 A-B Design The A-B Design is perhaps the most widely used design within classroom settings. Among its strengths are:  Ease in use  Accounts for learner performance during baseline and treatment conditions  Allows for measuring increased performance

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-8 A-B-A Design

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-9 A-B-A Design Occasionally used within classroom settings Provides for A-Baseline B-Treatment and A-Post-test or follow-up Within school settings it is considered unethical to remove a treatment that is promoting improved performance

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-10 Limitations of the A-B and A-B-A Designs Largely these are considered “teaching designs” They do not experimentally validate the treatment thus we cannot reliably say that the change in student performance is attributable to the treatment

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-11 A-B-A-B or Reversal Design

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-12 A-B-A-B Reversal Design The A-B-A-B design is an experimental design It allows for the determination of a functional relationship between the treatment and resultant behavior change Not the most applicable for use within school settings due to ethical considerations

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-13 Changing-Criterion Design

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-14 Changing-Criterion Design Excellent design for research and or teaching applications Is effective to use when monitoring shaping programs aimed at systematically increasing or decreasing a target behavior over time

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-15 Alternating Treatments Design

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-16 Alternating Treatment Design The Alternating Treatment Design is also referred to as the Multi-Element Design Allows for the evaluation of two or more distinctly different treatments thus allowing for comparison and determining their efficacy

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-17 Multiple-Baseline Design

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-18 Multiple-Baseline Design An effective design for classroom and research purposes Can be used across behaviors, students and or settings Allows for a simultaneous comparison of multiple dependent variables Another benefit is that it does not require a reversal

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-19 Analyzing Single-Subject Data

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 6-20 Analyzing Single-Subject Data Level-Mean or average within a phase Trend-directionality of behavior ○ Ascending ○ Descending ○ Stable