Split-middle line of progress
- is a way to draw and calculate a line of progress(aka trend line)
Data points should not be connected
a) across discontinuities of time
b) between data points falling on either side of a condition change line
c) for postcheck or follow-up data points, or
d) across significant spans of time in which the target behavior was not measured or data was lost/destroyed
The most common way behavior analysts display their data is in graphs
Examining the number of data points reported for each condition consists of simply counting the data points #AtLeastThree
The line graph is the most common type of graph used in ABA.
Visual Analysis
- Behavior analysts use visial analysis of graphs to systematically examine and interpret data
- is considered a conservative method to determine the social significance of behavior change because it is more susceptible to interpretations of a false negative rather than a false positive. A behavior change that is statistically significant may not look impressive on a graph.
Trend
- the overall direction that a data path takes
- trend may be described as ascending, descending, or no/zero trend(i.e., stable)
External Validity
- the extent to which a finctional relation reliably demonstrated in an experiment can be held under different condition. #Generalizable to the #externalWorld
Maturation
- refers to the natural changes to a subject which occur over the span of time and may impact the internal validity of an experiment
Treatment integrity
- refers to the extent to whitch the IV is implemented as planned over the course of the experiment.
A flase positive, or Type 1 error
- refers to when a researcher concludes that the independent variable had an effect on the dependent variable, when in truth no such relation exists.
Condition change line
- indicates that the independent variable was manipulated at the point in time in which it is displayed on the graph.
- typically, solid lines are used to signify majoy changes(i.e., phase change) while dashed lines indicate relatively minor changes