Abstract
There is a common misconception in applied research that generalizations from a study to a specific client can only be made with a large sample size. In single-case design research, however, generalizations are made from a line of replication studies rather than from a single large-N study. In this brief tutorial, we summarize how generalizations are made from single-case design research, and provide a model elevator speech to assist behavior analysts in talking about single-case design research with others.
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Notes
We should note that generality also has another meaning in applied behavior analysis. Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) use generality to refer to the durability and breadth of the effects of a particular intervention implementation.
Birnbrauer (1981) proposed a different way of thinking about generality, in which its basis is the functional difference between the behavior’s controlling variables during baseline and intervention, rather than participant or setting characteristics. Birnbrauer stated, “We should look for similarities in baseline conditions, the functional relations that appear to be operative during those pretreatment conditions, and the functional changes that implementation of treatment entailed for previous subjects” (p. 126). We do not disagree with this approach to generality. However, it can only be applied when experimental articles include such information; most do not. In addition, the larger scientific community still discusses generality in terms of differences between participants, settings, and other variables across studies. Thus, this is the framework we use in the current article.
A line of research generally produces a large N, but it is the various systematic replication conditions that ultimately enhance generalization and not the large N itself.
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We thank April Kisamore for her assistance during the early stage of this project.
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Walker, S.G., Carr, J.E. Generality of Findings From Single-Case Designs: It’s Not All About the “N”. Behav Analysis Practice 14, 991–995 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00547-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00547-3