A clinical psychologist wants to apply the behavioral treatment from the self-injury study (which successfully helped children with intellectual disabilities) to a new patient with similar intellectual delays. Based on the external validity limitations of single-subject designs, what must the psychologist do to determine if the treatment is actually effective for this new patient?
Question: A clinical psychologist wants to apply the behavioral treatment from the self-injury study (which successfully helped children with intellectual disabilities) to a new patient with similar intellectual delays. Based on the external validity limitations of single-subject designs, what must the psychologist do to determine if the treatment is actually effective for this new patient?
Sample answer: Because the original study's findings on children cannot be assumed to generalize, the psychologist must treat the application to the new patient as a new single-subject evaluation. They must systematically monitor and measure the new patient's self-injurious behavior before and during the treatment to verify its effectiveness for this specific individual.
Key points:
- Recognize that the generalizability of the original study's findings to the new patient is uncertain.
- Avoid assuming the treatment will automatically succeed for the new patient.
- Propose systematic monitoring or an individual evaluation of the treatment's effect on the new patient.
Rubric: The response must apply the concept of external validity by explaining that: 1) the psychologist cannot assume the treatment will automatically work for the new patient, and 2) they must systematically monitor or evaluate the treatment's effects on the new patient individually.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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A clinical psychologist wants to apply the behavioral treatment from the self-injury study (which successfully helped children with intellectual disabilities) to a new patient with similar intellectual delays. Based on the external validity limitations of single-subject designs, what must the psychologist do to determine if the treatment is actually effective for this new patient?