Deck 14: Single-Case Research

Question 1

Researchers use multiple-I designs to

A)conduct intraparticipant replications.
B)manipulate different levels of an independent variable.
C)test multiple participants in a single study.
D)reduce error variance.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is one advantage of using graphic analysis rather than inferential statistics to analyze data?

A)Graphic analysis is more powerful.
B)Graphic analysis is a more sophisticated approach to data analysis.
C)Research shows graphic analysis is more accurate.
D)Only relatively large effects of the independent variable will be detected and interpreted.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

According to researchers who conduct single-case experiments, intraparticipant variance can be reduced

A)by increasing the sample size.
B)by varying the experimental situation.
C)through experimental control.
D)by increasing the interparticipant variance.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Experimental research in which the unit of analysis is the individual participant uses ____________ experimental designs.

A)individualistic
B)nomothetic
C)single-case
D)quasi-

Question 5

Data from single-case experimental designs are typically analyzed using

A)ANOVA.
B)t-tests.
C)graphic analysis.
D)univariate analyses.

Question 6

In the eyes of researchers who endorse single-case experimental designs, "true" error variance

A)reflects differences among participants.
B)represents variability in a particular participant's behavior over several administrations of the same experimental condition.
C)doesn't exist.
D)is the difference between a particular participant's response and the average response of other participants who are in the same condition.

Question 7

An ABACA design is an example of a ________ design.

A)multiple-I
B)multiple baseline
C)group
D)time series

Question 8

The ABA design

A)involves two administrations of the independent variable (A)with a baseline period (B)between them.
B)is a reversal design.
C)examines the average responses of participants under three experimental conditions.
D)is a multiple-I design.

Question 9

Variability in an individual participant's behavior across situations or over time is

A)intraparticipant variance.
B)within-subjects variance.
C)temporal variance.
D)interparticipant variance.

Question 10

A researcher might enlarge an ABA design to an ABABABA design

A)to reduce an error variance.
B)to examine the generalizability of the effect to other participants.
C)to conduct an intraparticipant replication.
D)to create a multiple-I design.

Question 11

Which of the following is a possible consequence of averaging participants' responses?

A)The average may not reflect the behavior of any particular participant.
B)The researcher may be misled regarding the nature of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
C)The fact that the independent variable affected participants differently will go undetected.
D)All of these are possible consequences.

Question 12

Idiographic research seeks to

A)understand the causes of low intelligence.
B)generalize the results of research on animals to humans.
C)predict behavior.
D)describe and explain the behavior of individual people.

Question 13

The nomothetic approach

A)studies behavioral empirically.
B)tries to describe and understand the behavior of specific individuals.
C)attempts to establish general principles that explain behavior.
D)studies how people change as they get older.

Question 14

If the effect of an independent variable does not disappear when the variable is withdrawn in an ABA design,

A)the independent variable did not affect the participant's behavior.
B)the researcher should introduce another level of the independent variable.
C)the effects of the independent variable were only temporary.
D)it is unclear whether behavior was affected by the independent variable.

Question 15

Intraparticipant replication involves

A)repeating the effects of the independent variable with a single participant.
B)determining whether an effect generalizes to other participants.
C)comparing the average responses of two or more groups of participants.
D)testing the same participant under several different experimental conditions.

Question 16

Which design is used to study the effects of an independent variable on two or more behaviors simultaneously?

A)Multiple-I design
B)ABABA design
C)Multiple baseline design
D)Case study design

Question 17

Most single-case experimental research is conducted to study

A)social processes.
B)human development.
C)perception.
D)operant learning.

Question 18

Individual differences among participants contribute to

A)between-subjects variance.
B)interparticipant variance.
C)mean variance.
D)intraparticipant variance.

Question 19

By averaging the responses of many participants, researchers who use group designs

A)hope idiosyncratic sources of error variance will cancel out.
B)eliminate threats to internal validity.
C)can determine how most of the participants responded.
D)can replicate the effect of the independent variable across participants.

Question 20

Interparticipant replication involves

A)repeatedly manipulating the independent variable with a single participant.
B)determining whether an effect obtained on one participant generalizes to other participants.
C)comparing the average responses of two or more groups of participants.
D)testing the same participant under several different experimental conditions.

Question 21

What is a multiple baseline design?

Question 22

What is psychobiography?

Question 23

Which single-case experimental design would you use to examine the effects of an independent variable that has four levels?

Question 24

Discuss the criticisms of group designs that are leveled by proponents of single-case experimental designs.

Question 25

Which of the following is a good use for case study research?

A)Developing psychological measures
B)Describing rare phenomena
C)Testing hypotheses
D)None of these are good uses of case study research.

Question 26

An in-depth study of a single individual is a(n)

A)experiment.
B)case study.
C)ABA design.
D)single-case experiment.

Question 27

How do single-case researchers analyze their data?

Question 28

Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of group designs versus single-case experimental designs.

Question 29

The results of most case studies are presented

A)as a written description and explanation of the person's behavior.
B)in terms of differences among means.
C)through graphic analysis.
D)by comparing the person to other people.

Question 30

Why are case studies not particularly useful as a means of testing hypotheses about the causes of behavior?

Question 31

What some uses of case study research?

Question 32

Describe the ABA design.

Question 33

Applying concepts and theories from psychology to study famous people is called

A)historical psychology.
B)idiography.
C)biopsychology.
D)psychobiography.

Question 34

Distinguish between the goals of idiographic and nomothetic research.