Which statement best describes single-subject experimental research?

Which statement best describes single-subject experimental research?

• A. It generalizes findings to populations through group statistics.
• B. It focuses on the individual and tests the effect of treatment on specific behaviors.
• C. It relies on cross-sectional surveys to draw conclusions.
• D. It compares outcomes between different treatment groups in large samples.

Answer: (B)

Single-subject experimental research focuses on the individual and tests the effect of treatment on specific behaviors. This approach uses repeated measurements within one person (or a very small number) to see how introducing and removing the treatment changes the target behavior, often with designs like baseline versus intervention phases to demonstrate a functional connection between the treatment and the observed change. This emphasis on within-person change and detailed observation of how the treatment affects a particular behavior distinguishes it from studies that rely on group statistics to generalize to a population, from cross-sectional surveys, or from large-sample between-group comparisons.

Single-subject experimental research focuses on the individual and tests the effect of treatment on specific behaviors. This approach uses repeated measurements within one person (or a very small number) to see how introducing and removing the treatment changes the target behavior, often with designs like baseline versus intervention phases to demonstrate a functional connection between the treatment and the observed change. This emphasis on within-person change and detailed observation of how the treatment affects a particular behavior distinguishes it from studies that rely on group statistics to generalize to a population, from cross-sectional surveys, or from large-sample between-group comparisons.