Multiple Baseline Design Analysis

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According to Cooper & Heron & Heard 92007), the multiple baseline design is the mostly used by behavior analysts and researchers because it allows for the independent variable to be contrived across different settings, subjects, and behaviors, without having to implement a withdrawal procedure that can be detrimental to the client (p.201). Hence this research design allows for the behavior analysts to determine how behaviors may different from client to client (groups or several individuals, setting to setting (i.e. school vs. home), and behaviors (i.e. same behaviors in a group or individuals). To better understand the difference in the multiple baseline design all three of the designs must be examined.
According to Cooper et al., (2007), …show more content…

(. For example, a client may have more elopement patterns that are viable to reduce in the home verses the school because there is less opportunity. Another important note to consider is that the independent variable is tested in one setting; while the other settings contain the baseline conditions until the criterion level in the first manipulated setting is reached, and at that point the independent variable would be manipulated in the second setting with criterion, the third, and etc. For example, when a client behavior occurs at home, on the playground, and in circle time, the behavior analysts would observe this behavior in the three settings, and decided which intervention may be best to use for this behavior. Another example would be a client that does not take turns in class, and the behavior analysts observes this in different settings for example math class verses history. The …show more content…

207). In this case, the behavior analyst would keep the baseline conditions the same, and change the independent variable for one client, and move on when each client has reached a criterion level. For example, a behavior analysts could use this in a social group to work on commenting to peers, and could be by implementing a commenting condition in one client with commenting prompts, fading, reaching criterion levels, and moving to the next client. It should be noted that the multiple baseline design has variations and will be discussed to give the reader apt information. The multiple probe design is the examination of the relationship between the independent variable and the establishment of criterion level in the approximation or task sequence Cooper (et Al.,2007, p.209). For example, this could be used when a behavior analysts wants to determine the use of prompts and token economy systems in the programming shoe tying. Therefore, when the client reaches criterion level, the client would perform the task from the beginning to the last step mastered, and continues until mastery criterion is reached. Important to note, the multiple baseline probe design is used with clients that would not reach criterion levels in a sequence without acquiring previous steps , and reduced the time of collecting baseline data on chain behaviors

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