SingleCase Research Designs

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Single-Case Research Designs

• Chapter 10

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• Weve been talking about group designs
• Single-case research designs
• Case Study Method
• Single-Case Experimental Designs
• Vietnam Veterans, amnesic patients, death row
  inmates, brain injury patients

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The Case Study Method

• An intensive description and analysis of a single
  individual.
• Data is obtained from several sources.
• No control.
• Difficult to make valid inferences.
• Self-management training vs. Relationship between
  Mother and son.

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Advantages of Case Study Method

• Sources of ideas
• Opportunity for innovation
• Ability to study rare phenomena
• Can challenge theoretical assumptions
• Tentative support for theory
• Complement to Nomothetic study

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Disadvantages of the Case Study

• No cause-effect conclusions
• Potential source of bias
• Problems with generalization

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Single Case Experimental Design

• Skinner Experimental analysis of behavior
• Much more rigorous than Case studies
• Establishing a baseline
• Two types of single case experimental designs
• ABAB
• Multiple-Baseline designs

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• ABAB
• Baseline Treatment Baseline Treatment
• Multiple-Baseline Design
• Home School - Daycare

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Limitations of ALL Single-Case Designs

• Baseline measure needs to be stable
• Limited external validity
• Main effects and interactions