1. Developing and Using Baseline Measures of Behavior

2. What is a baseline?
The standard against which you measure all subsequent changes implemented by your program.
Usually shown as lines in graph form.
Sometimes called:
Reference points
Adaptation levels
Anchors
Norms

3. Why use baseline measures?
Baselines can:
Show whether your efforts are working.
Help you make sense about something complicated.
Help you decide whether to start an intervention.
Tell you if an intervention isn't necessary.

4. Developing a Baseline
Pick indicators that best reflect the behaviors that are most important to you.
Find measurements on those indicators.

5. Interpreting baseline changes
Data points fall into a tight range.
Best basis for starting.

6. Ascending and descending baselines
Ascending: the indicator has increased.
Descending: the indicator has decreased.

7. Unstable or variable baselines
Data points range all over the place and there are no clear trends.
Usually unwise to introduce any sort of intervention, because the variations make it too hard to tell whether changes are a result of the intervention.

8. Using baseline data to develop an intervention
Decide what problem(s) to address.
Identify primary targets of the intervention.
Develop an action plan.
Begin your intervention.