Visual analysis of data is a cornerstone of single-subject research. Yet some researchers have found that experts often disagree about what constitutes an intervention effect. This potential lack of consistency across visual analysts can have negative implications for both research and practice. This tutorial offers a systematic, evidence-based procedure for training individuals to conduct valid and reliable visual analyses of single-subject data. It features extensive discrimination training and practice opportunities; adaptive instruction and remediation for errors; and full audio narration in a self-paced, mobile-friendly format.
About the Authors
Katie Wolfe, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Katie Wolfe is an assistant professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of South Carolina, where she teaches coursework in applied behavior analysis and early childhood special education. She received her PhD in Disability Disciplines from Utah State University in 2013 and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Timothy Slocum, Ph.D.
Dr. Timothy A. Slocum is a Professor and Department Head of the Department of Special Education & Rehabilitation at Utah State University. He earned his doctorate in Special Education at the University of Washington in 1991. Dr. Slocum received the 2011 Fred S. Keller Behavioral Education award from Division 25 of the American Psychological Association and the 2014 Ernie Wing Award for Excellence in Evidence-Based Education from the Wing Institute.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing the tutorial, the learner should be able to:
- Describe the basic purposes of single-subject research
- Identify the key parts of line graphs that depict behavioral data
- Define level and estimate the level of a data path
- Define slope and estimate the slope of a data path
- Project the slope of baseline data into the intervention phase to compare the projected data pattern to the actual data pattern
- Identify whether an intervention may have caused a change in the level or slope of behavior
History
This tutorial was initially developed as part of the first author’s dissertation research at Utah State University. A commercial version was released by FoxyLearning in August 2015. It is updated on an ongoing basis, with significant updates occurring in January 2020 and August 2022.
Dr. Melissa Mackal is the Managing Director and Owner of Global Behavioral Health. She holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and doctorate in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies as well as being board certified in behavior analysis. She began her behavior analysis journey in the early 1990’s working in New Jersey and in conjunction with local schools catering specifically to children with autism. She continued her career in Florida as a certified behavior analyst in both the private and public sectors. It is there where she completed her doctorate at Florida State University under the tutelage of Dr. Walt Wager and other esteemed faculty within the ISD program and School of Education. She has over 15 years of instructional design experience, having designed and developed training and performance solutions in a wide array of domains: behavioral and clinical care, corporate, non-profits, industry, and military.
Robert Wallander received his Bachelor of Science in psychology from at Drake University under Scott Wood, his Masters in ABA from Western Michigan University under Jack Michael and his Ph.D. in psychology at The Florida State University under Jon Bailey. Dr. Wallander has been in continuous applied practice for 30 years following his receipt of a Master’s Degree and Florida Certification in 1993. Now a BCBA-D and Licensed Behavior Analyst, Dr. Wallander is has practiced in residential, school and community settings, teaching behavioral analysis and conducting research on behavior analytic topics range from complex verbal relations, functional assessment procedures, and technical aspects of evidence-based therapies. Dr. Wallander’s interest in the topic of how terminology affects clinical quality and effectiveness when a student of Dr. Jack Michael’s at Western Michigan University. Arguments made for mastering technical language for the purpose of improving ABA’s ability to be socially valid were learned there and continue to the present in which Dr Wallander teaches both precise terminology and illustrates how this is connected to and delivery of socially valid outcomes. Currently, Dr. Wallander has focused his research into the advanced verbal behavior of experts who examine graphed or otherwise summarized data and generate clinical recommendations. Specifically, he has incorporated the “think aloud” methodology and protocol analysis to study these phenomena for the purpose of standardizing and improving clinical decision making for all practitioners. To facilitate the study and reporting of his findings, he founded The Principal Research Group, a collective brings of scientists, authors, and practitioners who examine expertise in clinical thinking.
Dr. Kaneen Smyer is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received her Ph.D. in 2012 from Auburn University. She has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities across the lifespan since 2003 and is the Program Director at Ivymount Corporation.
Dr. Jamie Severtson is the Clinical Director at Autism Learning Partners in Broomfield, Colorado. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Missouri. Previously, she served as Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis Program at Southeast Missouri State University. Dr. Severtson holds a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University.
Dr. Linda A. LeBlanc is the President of LeBlanc Behavioral Consulting. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She received her Ph.D. in 1996 from Louisiana State University and previously served on the psychology faculties at Claremont McKenna College (1997-1999), Western Michigan University (1999-2008), and Auburn University (2009-2012).
Dr. Norm Peterson recently retired as the Director of Operations at the Foundation for Behavioral Resources. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Western Michigan University, where he was one of the first graduates of that department’s doctoral program in Behavior Analysis. Prior to his work at the Foundation, Dr. Peterson also served as a faculty member at Western Michigan University and as a senior HR Consultant at Consumers Energy.
An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory was written and developed by Eric J. Fox, Ph.D. (Doc Fox), the founder and director of FoxyLearning. Doc Fox was a contributing author to the first book-length treatment of Relational Frame Theory (RFT), developed the original Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) website (and the RFT and ACT websites that preceded it), was a founding member of the ACBS Board of Directors, and has presented and published on RFT numerous times. He holds a doctorate in Learning & Instructional Technology from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno. He has over two decades of experience in instructional design and previously served as a faculty member in the psychology department of Western Michigan University, Dean of Instruction at Saybrook University, Director of Instructional Design for Altius Education, Senior Content Developer at Cengage Learning, and Director of Educational Technology for The Ohio State University College of Medicine. His love of learning, technology, and behavioral science is coupled with an unhealthy affinity for Batman.
