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Statistical Analysis and Single-Subject Designs

Some Misunderstandings

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Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis

Part of the book series: Applied Clinical Psychology ((NSSB))

Abstract

In the beginning there were no statistical analyses of operant experiments. It was like a breath of fresh air for many psychologists when, many years ago, Skinner (1963) said:

Statistical methods are unnecessary....When a variable is changed and the effect on performance observed, it is for most purposes idle to prove statistically that a change has indeed occurred.... rate of responding and changes in rate can be directly observed... The effect is similar to increasing the resolving power of a microscope: A new subject matter is suddenly open to direct inspection, (p. 508)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA

    Bradley E. Huitema

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  1. Bradley E. Huitema
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

    Alan Poling  & R. Wayne Fuqua  & 

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© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

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Huitema, B.E. (1986). Statistical Analysis and Single-Subject Designs. In: Poling, A., Fuqua, R.W. (eds) Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis. Applied Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8786-2_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8786-2_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-8788-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-8786-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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