PHVIT9610 Single-Case Research Methods Course description

General admission requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in Health Sciences.

Students will be able to:

• give a general description of methods relevant to the collection and interpretation of data in research in behavior analysis

• discuss specific methods of data collection and their appropriateness for answering different kinds of research questions

• describe and discuss criteria for validity and reliability, and of methods of assessing them

• describe and discuss criteria for empirically supported treatment

• describe and discuss the rationale for single-case research designs

• produce graphical presentations of data

• briefly outline the history of basic and applied single-case research

• describe different recording techniques and their application criteria

• describe different strategies for dealing with variability in data

• discuss criteria for selecting behavior to assess (social, clinical, organizational, and personal significance)

• discuss basic principles for selecting an appropriate baseline

• describe criteria for deciding the length of baseline as well as intervention phases

• discuss the use of pilot studies

• give an account of the principle of changing one variable at a time, and exceptions to that principle

• discuss criteria for using different types of withdrawal designs

• give examples and explain the difference between withdrawal and reversal designs

• give examples of the use of multiple baseline designs and alternating treatment designs

• give examples of direct, systematic, and clinical replication procedures

• conduct visual and statistical analysis of the effect of independent variables in single-case research designs

The course consists of 1 introductory meeting, and 5 seminars of 5 x 45 minutes, with student presentations and time for feedback and discussion.

The introductory meeting is a 2-hours web-based meeting, taking place approximately 2 weeks ahead of the main part of the course. At this meeting, the structure, content, and purpose of the course are presented. The students are asked to give short presentations of their Ph.D. projects, and describe how the course may be relevant to it. The main purpose of this early session is to help the students to start systematic work with the course readings.

The seminars target central themes from the course readings for student presentations and discussions. A high level of student participation is expected. During this time, students will produce several PowerPoint presentations, and a final presentation. Course teachers mediate discussions. After feedback and discussions, the students submit two PowerPoint files each, which serve as the exam.

• All papers approved,
• attendance in at least 80 % of the seminars, and
• approved paper presentation in final seminar.

Portfolio.

Portfolio requirements: 2 PowerPoint presentations on specific topics from student classroom presentations

All

Pass / Fail

Internal