Ethical Considerations in Single-Subject Design

To prepare: Review the readings and weekly video introduction to gain an understanding of the types of single-subject designs and when each is appropriate. Focus on reversal designs and on their implementation. Consider ethical issues with removing treatment from a client to examine the efficacy of the intervention. Reversal designs (e.g., A-B-A-B designs) require the removal of an intervention to help you determine if the intervention is working. Using the graphic prototype of an A-B-A-B design (see Figure 8.1 in your Cooper text), assume the target behavior is making eye contact and the intervention is contingent praise (e.g., “Nice job looking me in the eye.”). Consider why you might remove an intervention that is working. By Day 3 Post by Day 3: Provide an explanation of practical and ethical considerations related to using reversal design with this target behavior. Provide an example of a target behavior for which using a reversal design would be ethically inappropriate. Provide an alternative design for this behavior that would be more appropriate. Required Readings Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 8, “Reversal and Multielement Designs” (pp. 171-191 Chapter 9, “Multiple Baseline and Changing Criterion Designs” (pp. 193-213) Frieder, J. E. (2013). Book review [Review of the book Single-subject research methodology in behavioral science, by D. L. Gast]. Education & Treatment of Children, 36(1), 185–190. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Moeyaert, M., Ugille, M., Ferron, J. M., Onghena, P., Heyvaert, M., Beretvas, S. N., & Van den Noortgate, W. (2014). Estimating intervention effects across different types of single-subject experimental designs: Empirical illustration. School Psychology Quarterly. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Required Media Laureate Education (Producer). (2014e). Week 4 introduction [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 50 minutes. Additionally, as a clarification, this media piece is intended to correlate to the concepts of this week, despite the difference between the opening title and the title for this week. Laureate Education (Producer). (2014a). Observing problem behaviors [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 16 minutes.