State the primary assumption of single-subject research regarding its focus of study, and recall why relying on aggregated group data can lead to misleading conclusions about the effectiveness of an intervention.
Question: State the primary assumption of single-subject research regarding its focus of study, and recall why relying on aggregated group data can lead to misleading conclusions about the effectiveness of an intervention.
Sample answer: The primary assumption of single-subject research is that researchers must focus intensively on individual behavior rather than aggregated data. Relying on aggregated group data can lead to misleading conclusions because group research can obscure important individual differences. For example, an intervention that benefits half the participants but harms the other half might falsely appear to have no effect on average. Focusing on individual responses allows researchers to reveal these hidden variations.
Key points:
- Primary assumption is focusing intensively on individual behavior rather than aggregated data.
- Group research can obscure important individual differences.
- An intervention that benefits some but harms others can falsely appear to have no effect on average.
- Isolating individual responses allows researchers to uncover hidden variations.
Rubric: The student must correctly identify the primary assumption as focusing intensively on individual behavior instead of aggregated group data. They must also recall that group averages can obscure individual differences and explain this with a clear example, such as an intervention having opposing effects (e.g., benefit vs. harm) that cancel each other out on average.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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