Unit 9 Assignment
PS365-5: Evaluate hypothetical interventions based on single-subject experimental designs.
GEL-1.2: Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English.
In Unit 4 and Unit 6, you developed interventions to increase behavior deficits and decrease behavior excesses. In this assignment, you will come up with a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of two of the intervention plans. You can choose any two of the intervention plans to evaluate: Annie’s plan to reduce skin picking, Annie’s verbal behavior plan, Jimmy’s contingency contract, or the group home token economy.
Prior to coming up with an evaluation plan, go back to your graded Unit 4 and Unit 6 assignments and read your instructor’s feedback. Make any recommended changes to your intervention plans before developing an evaluation plan.
Evaluating Your Intervention Plans:
Begin your evaluative essay by describing how single-subject experimental designs are used in behavior analysis to evaluate interventions. Include one reason why single-subject designs are considered superior to group designs in evaluating behavior change. Then, describe your evaluation plan for the two intervention plans you selected.
Each evaluation plan must include:
The measurement system you are using to collect data on what specific behavior(s). Include the operational definitions.
How often you are collecting data
Who is going to collect that data
The research design you are using to evaluate your treatment
An explanation of why that research design was the best choice
How the research design would demonstrate functional control of the intervention over the behavior(s).
Describe how you will know if your treatment was effective – what would a visual analysis of the graphed data show? You do not need to create a graph, but you should describe what your graph would show if your treatment were effective.
Your answers to the prompt above should consist of information from the text and supplemental readings. Your primary sources should be the readings assigned for the course, but you also may use sources from the Library or other credible Internet sources.
Your written assignment should be written in essay format with complete sentences. A clear viewpoint and purpose should be established and maintained throughout your evaluative essay. Your writing should be in Standard English with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Summarize a concept, theory or research
Use direct quotes from the text or articles
Writing Requirements and Assignment Guidelines
Your Assignment should be a 6-page evaluative essay, not including the Title and Reference pages, and should include the following elements:
Title page: Provide your name, title of Assignment, course and unit number, and date
Body: Answer the questions in complete sentences and paragraphs
The assignment must be written in Standard English and demonstrate superior organization, including a highly developed viewpoint and purpose. The communication of your thoughts must be highly ordered, logical, and unified, displaying exceptional content, organization, style, and mechanics (including the use of correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure).
Reference Page: Sources in APA format
Use Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced
Use 6th Edition APA Formatting and Citation style
If you need assistance with APA style, please visit the Writing Center.
Submitting your Assignment
Create your essay in a word document. Save it in a location you will remember and with the following format: Lastname_FirstnameUnit9Assignment. When you are ready to submit it, click on the Assignment Dropbox and submit.
Grading Criteria Points
Possible Points
Earned
Content
Student described how single-subject experimental designs are used and included one reason why single-subject designs are considered superior to group designs in evaluating behavior change. 0-15
For each of the two cases, student described:
The measurement system used to collect data on what specific behavior(s). Included the operational definitions for the behaviors to be measured.
How often data is collected
Who is collecting that data 0-30
For each of the two cases, student described:
The research design used to evaluate the treatment
An explanation of why that research design was the best choice
How the research design would demonstrate functional control of the intervention over the behavior(s).
0-50
For each of the two cases, student described:
How to determine if the treatment was effective, including a description of a visual analysis of hypothetical data 0-20
Writing
Structure:
Paper includes an APA Style title page, introduction with thesis statement, conclusion, and in-text citations and reference page.
Paper is appropriate in length (body of the paper should be 4-5 pages, not including the title page or reference page).
Paper includes reference to the textbook and any other academic sources used. 0-10
Mechanics:
Paper uses Standard English including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and complete sentences and paragraphs.
Paper is free of typographical errors.
Paper includes a highly developed viewpoint and purpose.
Paper demonstrates superior organization; communication is highly ordered, logical and unified. 0-10
Total 0-135
An explanation of the points earned, as well as where the assignment could be strengthened will be included with your grade.
