Chapter 9:

Multiple Baseline and Changing

Criterion Designs

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 Multiple Baseline Design
• Most widely used for evaluating treatment
effects in ABA
• Highly flexible
• Do not have to withdraw treatment
variable

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Operation and Logic
• Alternative to reversal design when target
behavior is likely to be irreversible or when
impractical or unethical to reverse
conditions
• 3 basic forms:
– Multiple baseline across behaviors
– Multiple baseline across settings
– Multiple baseline across subjects

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 Prediction, Verification, and
Replication
• Apply independent variable to Behavior 1 when
you can confidently predict that the behavior
would remain the same in constant conditions
• If Behaviors 2 and 3 remain unchanged after the
application of the IV to Behavior 1, this verifies
the prediction
• If the IV changes Behavior 2 like it did Behavior
1, the effect of the IV has been replicated
• The more replications, the more convincing the
demonstration; most commonly 3-5 tiers

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 Multiple Baseline Across Behaviors
• 2 or more different behaviors of same subject
• Each subject serves as his/her own control
• After steady state baseline responding,
independent variable is applied to 1st behavior,
while other behaviors are kept in baseline
conditions
• When steady state responding is reached for 1st
behavior, then IV is applied to next behavior

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Multiple Baseline Across Settings
• A single behavior is targeted in two or
more different settings or conditions
• After steady state baseline responding,
independent variable is applied to 1st
setting, while other settings are kept in
baseline conditions
• When steady state responding is reached
for 1st setting, then IV is applied to next
setting
Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Multiple Baseline Across Subjects
• One target behavior for 2 or more subjects in the
same setting
• After steady state baseline responding,
independent variable is applied to 1st subject,
while other subjects are kept in baseline
conditions
• When steady state responding is reached for 1st
subject, then IV is applied to next subject
• Most widely used multiple baseline design

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Variations of Multiple Baselines
• Alternative tactics for pursuing a multiple
baseline analysis:
– Multiple probe design
– Delayed multiple baseline design
• When extended baseline measurement is
unnecessary, impractical, too costly, or
unavailable

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Multiple Probe Design
• Analyzes relation between independent
variable and acquisition of skill sequences
• Instead of simultaneous baselines, probes
provide basis for determining if behavior
change has occurred prior to intervention
• Appropriate for analyzing a shaping
program

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Delayed Multiple Baseline Design
• Initial baseline and intervention begin and
subsequent baselines are added in a delayed or
staggered fashion
• Effective when reversal design is not possible,
limited resources preclude a full-scale design,
and when a new behavior, subject, or setting
becomes available
• Limitations: shorter baselines and can mask
interdependence of dependent variables

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Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Assumptions and Guidelines
1. Select independent, yet functionally similar baselines
• Behaviors are functionally independent of one
another
• Behaviors share enough similarity that they will
change with the application of the same independent
variable
2. Select concurrent and plausibly related multiple
baselines
• Behaviors must be measured concurrently
• All relevant variables that influence one behavior
must have opportunity to influence other behaviors

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Assumptions and Guidelines
3. Do not apply the independent variable to the
next behavior too soon
4. Vary significantly the lengths of multiple
baselines
• The more baseline phases differ in length, the
stronger the design
5. Intervene on most stable baseline first
• If possible, application of independent variable
should be made in order of greatest stability

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Multiple Baseline Design
Advantages
• Does not require withdrawal of an effective
treatment
• Ideal for multiple behavior changes sought
by many practitioners
• Useful in assessing occurrence of
generalization of behavior change
• Relatively easy to conceptualize

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Limitations
• Does not demonstrate experimental
control
• Provides more information about
effectiveness of treatment variable than
function of target behavior
• Can require treatment being withheld for
some behaviors/settings/subjects for a
long time
• Required time and resources
Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Changing Criterion Design
• Used to evaluate effects of a treatment
that is applied in a graduated fashion to a
single target behavior
• Initial baseline phase followed by series of
treatment phases that serve as baseline
for increased criterion of the next phase

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Operation and Logic
• Prediction, replication, and verification
• Variation of the multiple baseline design
• Show repeated production of new rates of
behavior as function of manipulations of
independent variable
• Flexibility of the design

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Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Guidelines for Use
• Requires careful manipulation of 3 design
factors:
– length of phases
– magnitude of criterion changes
– number of criterion changes

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Length of Phases
• Each phase serves as baseline for next
phase, so must be long enough to achieve
stable responding
• Slower to change target behaviors,
therefore, require longer phases
• Should vary considerably to increase
design’s validity

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Magnitude of Criterion Changes
• Varying size of changes gives more
convincing demonstration of experimental
control
• Must be large enough to be detectable,
but not so large as to be unachievable
• Smaller changes can be used with very
stable levels of responding
• Larger changes required to demonstrate
behavior change in presence of variability
Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Number of Criterion Changes
• The more times the behavior changes to
meet new criteria, the more convincing the
demonstration of experimental control
• Interrelated with phase length and
magnitude of criterion changes
• If limited time for study, the greater the
number of phases, the shorter each phase
can be
Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Appropriateness of Changing
Criterion Design
• Does not require reversal of improved
behavior
• Only one target behavior is required
• Only for use with behaviors that are
already in student’s repertoire and lend
themselves to stepwise modification

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved
 Appropriateness
• Not appropriate for shaping behaviors
• Best suited for evaluating effect of
instructional techniques on stepwise
changes in rate, frequency, accuracy,
duration, or latency of single target
behavior

Cooper, Heron, and Heward Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition All rights reserved