Applied Behavioral Analysis

Resource: 

The Unit 6 Assignment requires you to apply the theories, concepts, and research that you have covered so far this term to a hypothetical case study. Your answers to the questions and completed graph should consist of information from the text and supplemental readings.You also may use sources from the Kaplan library or other credible Internet sources, but your primary sources should be the readings assigned for the course.

Read each Case Study and answer the questions below. You will need to write 2–3 typed pages for each case in order to address all required parts of the project.Answers to the questions should be typed in an APA formatted Word document, double-spaced in 12-point font and submitted to the Dropbox.

Your final paper must be your original work; plagiarism will not be tolerated. Be sure to review the Syllabus in terms of what constitutes plagiarism.Please make sure to provide proper credit for those sources used in your case study analysis in proper APA format. Please see the APA Quick Reference for any questions related to APA citations. You must credit authors when you:

1. Summarize a concept, theory or research
2. Use direct quotes from the text or articles

Read Case Study 1: Martin

Martin, a behavior analyst, is working with Sara, a 14-year-old girl with severe developmental delays who exhibits self-injurious behavior (SIB). Sara’s target behavior is defined as pulling her hair, biting her arm and banging her head against the wall. After conducting a functional analysis, Martin decided to employ an intervention program consisting of differential reinforcement of other (DRO) desired behavior. Martin collected data on Sara’s SIB before and during the intervention. Below is a depiction of the data that Martin collected:

Sara’s Frequency of SIB

BASELINE Occurrences	DRO Occurrences
22	5
25	5
27	3
26	2

 

Address the following questions, and complete the following requirements:

1. Create a basic line graph using Microsoft Excel, to be included in your Word document. The graph should depict the data provided in this case study. You should only need to create one graph, with SIB depicted, both in baseline and in intervention.
2. What type of research design did Martin employ when working with Sara? What is an advantage and a disadvantage of using this research design?
3. According to the data in the graph, was the intervention that Martin selected effective in modifying Sara’s self-injurious behavior?
4. Martin had considered using an ABAB reversal design when working with Sara. What are some ethical implications of selecting a reversal design when working with the type of behavior problems that Sara was exhibiting?
5. Martin’s supervisor requested a graph of the data he collected when working with Sara. Why are graphs useful in evaluating behavior change?
6. Discuss how a graph demonstrates a functional relationship. Identify whether the graph that you created using the data provided in this section depicts a functional relationship.ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

   Discussion Questions (DQ)

   • Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
   • Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
   • One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
   • I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

   Weekly Participation

   • Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
   • In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
   • Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
   • Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.

   APA Format and Writing Quality

   • Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).
   • Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation.
   • I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition.

   Use of Direct Quotes

   • I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly.
   • As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content.
   • It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source.

    

   LopesWrite Policy

   • For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
   • Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
   • Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
   • Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

   Late Policy

   • The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
   • Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
   • If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
   • I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
   • As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

   Communication

   • Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: 
     • Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
     • Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

   Applied Behavioral Analysis

   Applied Behavioral Analysis