Case Study

Based on the provided context, justify why Dr. Aris should apply a single-subject research design for Leo's treatment evaluation, and identify what characteristics of Leo's case and the treatment's goals align with this methodology.

Case context: Dr. Aris is a clinical psychologist working with a patient named Leo, who exhibits a unique self-injurious behavior. Dr. Aris wants to evaluate whether a new behavioral modification technique can successfully eliminate this behavior. Because Leo's behavior is rare and highly specific, Dr. Aris cannot recruit a large sample for a group-design study. He wants to ensure his evaluation is systematically and quantitatively rigorous, rather than relying on qualitative impressions.

Question: Based on the provided context, justify why Dr. Aris should apply a single-subject research design for Leo's treatment evaluation, and identify what characteristics of Leo's case and the treatment's goals align with this methodology.

Sample answer: Dr. Aris should use a single-subject design because he is a clinician working with only one patient at a time, making this design his only viable option for conducting systematic quantitative research. This approach is highly appropriate because Leo's specific behavior is the primary focus of the study. Furthermore, the goal is to evaluate a treatment where they need to observe a strong, consistent, and socially significant effect (eliminating self-injurious behavior).

Key points:

  • Dr. Aris is working with a single patient, making single-subject design the only viable choice for systematic quantitative research.
  • Leo's specific behavior is the primary focus of interest.
  • The treatment goals require observing strong, consistent, and socially significant effects.

Rubric: Answers must justify the use of a single-subject design by referencing that Dr. Aris works with only one patient and needs to conduct systematic quantitative research. The answer must also connect the design to the focus on Leo's specific behavior and the goal of observing a strong, consistent, and socially significant treatment effect.

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Updated 2026-05-26

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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