assessing reliability

• interobserver reliability

research designs

• descriptive research: describing the behavior and the situation where it occurs

  • naturalistic observation: systematic observation and recording of behavior in its natural environment

    • commonly used approach in ethology (zoology)

    • ideal for studying inherited behavior

    • cannot intervene or ask clarifying questions

  • case studies: intense examination of 1 or a few individuals

    • prevalent in medical settings

• experimental research: allows for cause and effect relationships

  • 1+ independent variables are varied to determine their effect on a dependent variable

  • control group designs: individuals are randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group

    • comparative design: different species constitute one of the independent variables

    • limitations:

      • requires a large number of subjects

      • focus on average performance of subjects

      • results only analyzed at end of experiment

  • single-subject designs: require 1 or a few subjects

    • simple comparison design: behavior in a baseline condition that is compared to behavior in a treatment condition

      • self-punishment procedure: people apply an aversive consequence to themselves each time they engage in an unwanted target behavior (b phase)

      • baseline: normal frequency of the behavior that occurs before some intervention (a phase)

    • reversal design: involves repeated alternations between a baseline period and a treatment period

    • multiple-baseline design: treatment is instituted at successive points in time for 2+ persons, settings, or behaviors

    • changing criterion design: effect of the treatment is demonstrated by how closely the behavior matches a criterion that is being systematically altered