Deck 11: Designing Behavioral Comparisons

Question 1

What is the defining distinction between control and experimental conditions?

A) The presence of the independent variable
B) The change in responding
C) The occurrence of steady states
D) The presence of extraneous variables

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The experimental condition may also be referred to as the ______.

A) dependent variable condition
B) control condition
C) intervention condition
D) baseline condition

Answer 2

C

Question 3

When the factors that make up a phase are not the specific focus of the researcher's interest, it is called:

A) an experimental condition
B) a treatment condition
C) a within subject design
D) a control condition

Answer 3

D

Question 4

When distinguishing the independent variable from the experimental condition, it may help to think of the experimental condition as consisting of two parts. One part is the independent variable, and the second is:

A) the dependent variable
B) the extraneous variables that are influencing the behavior
C) the type of experimental design being used
D) all of the factors that were also present in the control condition

Question 5

The control condition serves two purposes. The first is to establish general conditions under which participants will behave. What is its second purpose?

A) It isolates the dependent variable so that it cannot be influenced by extraneous factors
B) It controls for all of the factors in the experimental condition that are not the independent variable
C) It provides the researchers with an opportunity to measure the accuracy of the independent variable
D) It creates steady states of responding so that the researcher can make complete and accurate comparisons between the conditions

Question 6

In order to serve as an effective control condition, the baseline conditions must run throughout the:

A) intervention condition
B) first phase change
C) experimental control
D) dependent variable condition

Question 7

The control condition is often presented before the experimental condition for all of the following reasons, except:

A) it can provide participants with a history that they must have in order to prepare for the experimental condition
B) it can be used to fine tune the general preparation early in the project
C) it can be extended until the data are stable and everything appears to be working as intended
D) it provides a better comparison between the two conditions than if the order was reversed

Question 8

If an experiment starts with a treatment condition instead of a control condition, the treatment condition should be labeled as:

A) "A"
B) "B"
C) "C"
D) it depends on how many conditions there are

Question 9

Suppose that every time Johnny asks a question, the teacher answers it. Also suppose that he asks a question in class except when his particular teacher is present. This example demonstrates a(n) ______ between Johnny's question-asking and his teacher answering his questions.

A) correlation
B) response product
C) parametric design
D) functional relationship

Question 10

The problems that investigators are likely to find when attempting to adjust experimental control fall into what three general categories?

A) Unanticipated extraneous variables intruding on control and experimental conditions; Alterations in the number of participants involved in the study; Modifications in specific features of the control and independent variable conditions
B) Adjustments in how the target behavior is measured and defined; Unanticipated extraneous variables intruding on control and experimental conditions; Alterations in the number of participants involved in the study
C) Adjustments in how the target behavior is measured and defined; Modifications in specific features of the control and independent variable conditions; Unanticipated extraneous variables intruding on control and experimental conditions
D) Alterations in the number of participants involved in the study; Modifications in specific features of the control and independent variable conditions; Adjustments in how the target behavior is measured and defined

Question 11

The extent to which the independent variable is consistently implemented as designed is known as ______.

A) validity
B) replication
C) treatment integrity
D) reliability

Question 12

Researchers manage extraneous variables in each of the following ways, except:

A) eliminate them entirely
B) hold them constant across conditions
C) evaluate them directly through experimental manipulations
D) accepting them as intrinsic and explaining their possible effects in the discussion

Question 13

Ron, a behavior analyst, uses a multiple baseline design to examine the effects of a social skills training program with three different individuals. Maria uses the same procedure but receives different results. In this example, Maria demonstrated the use of ______:

A) treatment integrity
B) reproduction
C) experimental control
D) replication

Question 14

The form of replication that stems from the steady state strategy is:

A) replication across sessions
B) replication across trials
C) replication of entire studies
D) replication across research literatures

Question 15

What are the two general kinds of information that the different types of replication provide?

A) The validity and reliability of the findings
B) The generality and validity of the findings
C) The reliability and generality of the findings
D) The believability and generality of the findings

Question 16

Replications are more likely to be needed for the following reasons, except:

A) the existing literature on the topic is small or weak
B) there are obvious alternative explanations for the effects
C) the groups' behavior did not support the original hypothesis
D) the replication will be relatively easy to do

Question 17

If a study is well done, how many participants are needed to justify conclusions that the data are true:

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4 or more

Question 18

The goal of experimentation is to learn enough about he effects of the independent variable on the target behavior to show that particular changes in responding are a function of the independent variable and nothing else. This result is called a(n) ______.

A) reproduction
B) replication
C) correlation
D) functional relation

Question 19

Pia is a BCBA practitioner and she has developed a treatment protocol for reducing a problem behavior with one of her clients. Which of the following should Pia consider before implementing her treatment?

A) How can implementation be arranged so it isolates the effects of the treatment?
B) Could there could be sequence effects that impact responding?
C) How can extraneous factors be controlled?
D) All of these are important considerations for clinical interventions

Question 20

Replication has to do with repeating _______ and reproduction refers to repeating ______.

A) procedures; results
B) results; procedures
C) entire experiments; specific conditions
D) specific conditions; entire experiments

Question 21

What is a control condition intended to control for?

Question 22

Describe the two kinds of information that can be provided by a replication of an experimental condition.

Question 23

What is the defining distinction between control and experimental/treatment conditions?

Question 24

What difficulties would a researcher or practitioner face if the features of the control or baseline condition were not continued during the treatment phase?

Question 25

Why do researchers and practitioners often begin a behavioral evaluation or study with a control or baseline condition instead of a treatment condition?

Question 26

What is a sequence effect and how can it be beneficial to an investigator?

Question 27

What must an investigator do to demonstrate strong experimental control?

Question 28

How can repeated measures designs assist an investigator in developing experimental control?

Question 29

Can a researcher have too much experimental control? Support your answer with an example.

Question 30

What are the three ways that investigators control for extraneous variables? What are the pros and cons of each?

Question 31

Describe three of the five different types of replication.

Question 32

If a researcher wanted to assess the generality of a condition, how closely should the replication be to the original condition?

Question 33

Describe the difference between replication and reproduction.

Question 34

Why does adding additional participants not help the investigator to understand whether the findings will hold for all similar individuals?

Question 35

Discuss the difference between the goals of behavior analyst researchers and practitioners when conducting behavioral evaluations and describe two good reasons for practitioners to understand how to compare responding under control and treatment conditions.

Question 36

Keisha is a BCBA practitioner who is arranging a treatment to reduce skin picking behaviors with one of her clients. Currently, her client engages in skin picking only at school. She is planning to implement a treatment in the school classroom. Describe two important factors Keisha should consider regarding experimental control before implementing her treatment.

Question 37

Pia is a BCBA practitioner and she needs to develop a treatment protocol for reducing a problem behavior with one of her clients. While developing her treatment plan, describe 3 things she must consider in her protocol for implementing her treatment.

Question 38

If a study is well done, how many participants are needed to justify conclusions that the data are true and why?

Question 39

What is the goal when conducting a study or clinical evaluation of some intervention on responding?

Question 40

When distinguishing the independent variable from the experimental condition, it may help to think of the experimental condition as consisting of what two parts?