SINGLE SYSTEM RESEARCH DESIGN

SW 7501 Single System Research Design Assignment

This week, based on data provided to you in MS Excel, you must create and interpret trendlines from simulated clinical cases, in terms of what happens before an intervention, during an intervention, and following removal of an intervention.

Background:

Read assigned readings on single systems (also known as single case) designs, and check the example of the “F. Norris” illustration. Then, proceed to develop scatterplots with straight lines and markers from the remaining series of simulated situations, and correctly interpret the phenomenon observed, in terms of what is happening at baseline, intervention, and removal of intervention time periods.

This assignment requires that you have a reasonably current version of Excel. Being a student at LSU allows you a license to Microsoft Office, and as such, you should be able to download and use Excel without paying an additional fee.

However, if you don’t have this on your own computer, you may also use the LSU virtual lab (VLAB). More information on VLAB can be found here: https://grok.lsu.edu/Article.aspx?articleId=16074 Once it has been downloaded, from the Vmware/VLAB program, select either the General Desktop, or General Desktop Legacy, and you can access Excel from here. NOTE : If you use VLAB, be sure to either: 1) save your file to an external USB, using the option available on the General Desktop (https://grok.lsu.edu/article.aspx?articleid=16560); 2) copy your file, and save it to your own computer’s desktop (not the one from VLAB); or 3) e-mail your file to yourself while you are still in VLAB. Otherwise, you will lose the work that you are doing.

Assignment Specifics:

For this assignment, you will use the Excel document uploaded to Moodle to imagine a scenario where a series of clients are being measured on their level of emotional wellbeing over time, on a scale from 1-10, where 1 is the lowest level of wellbeing, and 10 is the highest level of wellbeing. A series of weekly time periods are listed here in row 2. Week 1 means the first week observed, Week 9 means the 9th week observed, etc. These clients will be receiving an intervention meant to enhance emotional wellbeing through a new form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. This cognitive-behavioral therapy is the “intervention” for the purpose of this assignment.

In some cases, there will be a baseline phase, in others there won’t, but there will be a removal of observation phase. This variation represents different scenarios that could be impacted by factors including level of pre-planning, and availability of subjects following cessation of a program. This information is represented in row 1, which tells you when one of three conditions takes place: 1) baseline (e.g., the period before the cognitive-behavioral therapy is provided); 2) intervention (e.g., the cognitive-behavioral therapy is provided in this period); and 3) intervention removed (e.g., the cognitive-behavioral therapy is no longer provided in this period).

You should assume that the intervention will begin at the very beginning of the first week listed under the “intervention” section, and the removal of the intervention happens at the end of the last week listed under the “intervention” section. You should also assume that wellbeing levels are recorded at the end of the week listed.

Scenario type, and corresponding time periods are color coded.

Assignment requirements:

I. Using the Excel program, and on your own (this is not a group project) create scatterplots with straight lines and markers for each tab (one for R. Christy, one for R. Quivers, and one for R. Mund). Note again that not all cases will have each of the three conditions.

II. Then, in the section listed under “Interpretation,” write up your interpretation of what is going on. You should explain: 1) both the phenomenon that appears to be observed based on the scatterplot: and 2) also a critical, alternative explanation whereby the observed is not happening due to the intervention, but something else. In the case of the critical explanation, state what the researcher/evaluator could do in a subsequent single systems design to help counter this type of argument.

The Royse et al. gives you the background information you need to make these arguments.

Record your work in the Excel file that you have downloaded, then re-upload the file with your work to Moodle.