Research Methods in ABA

Catalog description

This course provides an in-depth examination of experimental design and data analysis in behavior analysis, with a primary focus on single-case research methodology. Students will learn to differentiate among key methodological concepts, including independent and dependent variables, as well as internal and external validity. Emphasis is placed on identifying and addressing threats to internal validity and understanding the defining features of single-case experimental designs such as prediction, verification and replication. The course explores various design types - including reversal, multiple-baseline, multielement and changing-criterion - and compares their relative strengths to group designs. Students will also develop skills in analyzing, interpreting and critiquing single-case data, and applying these designs to evaluate the effects of behavioral interventions.