Which single-subject design demonstrates functional control by alternating baseline and intervention phases?

Which single-subject design demonstrates functional control by alternating baseline and intervention phases?

• A. Baseline
• B. Respondent Conditioning
• C. A-B-A-B Reversal Design
• D. Dependent Variable

Answer: (C)

Showing that a behavior changes in direct relation to the intervention across phases is how this design demonstrates functional control. In this approach, you start with a baseline (A) to measure the behavior without intervention, then introduce the intervention (B) and observe changes, withdraw the intervention to return to baseline (A) to see if the behavior reverts, and then reintroduce the intervention again (B). If the behavior consistently changes in the same direction with the presence or absence of the intervention across these cycles, you can attribute the change to the intervention itself rather than to other factors. This repeated alternation strengthens the inference that the intervention causes the observed behavior changes. Baseline by itself doesn’t show control, because it only describes a single period without manipulation. Respondent conditioning is a type of learning, not a single-subject design that manipulates and withdraws a treatment. The dependent variable is the measure you collect, not the design used.

Showing that a behavior changes in direct relation to the intervention across phases is how this design demonstrates functional control. In this approach, you start with a baseline (A) to measure the behavior without intervention, then introduce the intervention (B) and observe changes, withdraw the intervention to return to baseline (A) to see if the behavior reverts, and then reintroduce the intervention again (B). If the behavior consistently changes in the same direction with the presence or absence of the intervention across these cycles, you can attribute the change to the intervention itself rather than to other factors. This repeated alternation strengthens the inference that the intervention causes the observed behavior changes.

Baseline by itself doesn’t show control, because it only describes a single period without manipulation. Respondent conditioning is a type of learning, not a single-subject design that manipulates and withdraws a treatment. The dependent variable is the measure you collect, not the design used.