Question

Alicia Morales, a sixth-grade teacher, is interested in helping one of her students, Jamie Brown, pay more attention in class (behavior 1). She wants him volunteer to answer questions more frequently (behavior 2), as well as speak directly to other students during class discussions (behavior 3). Consequently, she decides to use a multiple-baseline design to see if she can increase these behaviors by systematically praising Jamie (the “treatment” she plans to use) whenever one of these behaviors occurs. Ms. Morales has a teacher’s aide who can observe Jamie while class is in session and she is teaching. The results of the two-week intervention are shown below.

1. Answer the question: Was the treatment effective? What do you observe from baseline to treatment and treatment through the two weeks? What do you conclude?

2 Explore all three behaviors and discuss each.

Baseline Treatment Behavior 1 ONW H OHH 0 A 4 + 5 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 1 2 3 6 Baseline Treatment ON Behavior 2 0- 0 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Baseline Treatment Behavior 3 ONWAY 0 1 2 3 4 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 Data Collection Periods

Answer 1

Ans 1)

In all three behaviors there was a significant acceleration only after the treatment was provided. All three behaviours showed significant improvement after they were praised constantly everytime they occurred over the period of two weeks. From baseline to treatment, each of the behaviour showed growth. The increase in each behaviour were maintained at the two week period. It can be concluded that each behaviour was changed significantly when and only when the treatment (praise) was applied and thus providing the effectiveness of systematically praising Jamie whenever the target behaviour occurred.

Ans 2)

Ms. Morales established the baseline for each behaviour when they were stable. After evaluating the baseline Jamie started receiving systematic praise i.e., the treatment for the period of two months everytime he paid more attention. After examining the graph it is indicated that the sequential praising resulted in marked changes in Jamie's behaviour of paying more attention (behaviour 1), while the changes in other two behaviours, i.e., volunteer to answer the questions frequently and speak directly to students while discussion, remained constant.

When the treatment of systematic praise was applied to his second target behaviour- frequent voluntary participation to answer the questions, this too increased significantly while the third target behaviour remained constant.

Finally when the treatment was applied for the period of two weeks, his third target behaviour - speaking directly to the students while discussion also showed marked changes.

This it can be said that all 3 target behaviours showed significant improvement when and only when the treatment was provided yield evidence for the effectiveness of the treatment.