Case Study

Based on the principles of a multiple-baseline design across behaviors, what specific pattern of results must the researcher observe to provide clear evidence that the token-reward intervention caused the improvement in the worker's productivity?

Case context: A researcher wants to evaluate whether a new token-reward intervention improves a single office worker's completion of three distinct administrative tasks: filing documents, replying to emails, and updating the database. The researcher establishes baselines for all three tasks. The reward system is then introduced for filing documents during week 3, for replying to emails during week 5, and for updating the database during week 7.

Question: Based on the principles of a multiple-baseline design across behaviors, what specific pattern of results must the researcher observe to provide clear evidence that the token-reward intervention caused the improvement in the worker's productivity?

Sample answer: To provide clear evidence of causality, the researcher must observe that the office worker's performance on filing documents improves starting at week 3, performance on replying to emails improves starting at week 5, and performance on updating the database improves starting at week 7. The behavior change for each task must correspond only to its staggered introduction time.

Key points:

  • Improvement in filing documents corresponds specifically to week 3.
  • Improvement in replying to emails corresponds specifically to week 5.
  • Improvement in updating the database corresponds specifically to week 7.
  • Increases in productivity must correspond only to the staggered introduction time for each specific dependent variable.

Rubric: A correct response will explicitly state that improvements in each specific task must align exactly with the staggered introduction times (weeks 3, 5, and 7) of the intervention for that task.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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