Which research approach is focused on evaluating the effects of interventions on the behavior of a single subject?

Which research approach is focused on evaluating the effects of interventions on the behavior of a single subject?

• A. Single-Subject Research
• B. Functional Analysis
• C. Reinforcement
• D. Extinction

Answer: (A)

Single-subject research focuses on one participant and examines how an intervention changes that individual's behavior over time. It uses repeated measurements across baseline and intervention phases, with within-subject comparisons to show a clear effect of the intervention—often using designs like ABAB reversals or multiple baselines to demonstrate experimental control within that person. Functional analysis, by contrast, aims to identify what maintains a behavior, not primarily to test intervention effects in a single individual. Reinforcement and extinction are treatment procedures that influence behavior, but they are not research designs themselves.

Single-subject research focuses on one participant and examines how an intervention changes that individual's behavior over time. It uses repeated measurements across baseline and intervention phases, with within-subject comparisons to show a clear effect of the intervention—often using designs like ABAB reversals or multiple baselines to demonstrate experimental control within that person. Functional analysis, by contrast, aims to identify what maintains a behavior, not primarily to test intervention effects in a single individual. Reinforcement and extinction are treatment procedures that influence behavior, but they are not research designs themselves.