The A-B-A, or reversal, design is one of the most recognized, single-case experimental designs in both research and practice [although in practice, the return to baseline is followed by a return to the treatment, or B, phase]. In non-experimental settings,
A-B, or non-reversal designs, occur often. Sometimes this is in the form of a singular life-changing event, but more often is just a part of everyday living. An example of the former might be the sudden death of a very close friend or relative and of the latter, starting an exercise program. Departed loved ones cannot be replaced, but one could stop exercising. But, hey, if it is working why would you want to do that? So most people skip the return to A, or at least try to, once they make a
positive life change.
Although A-B-A designs in everyday personal lives are pretty common, at a cultural level it isn’t often that A-B-A designs appear naturally, without being “set up” by someone. In the case of the COVID-19 virus in the United States and elsewhere around the world, the presence of such a design allows us the rare opportunity to not only see if what we are doing is working, but also what happens if we stop doing what was working.
Look at the data. By late March, the end of what we can label the “A” phase, the number of cases was on a grim but clear upward trend. As the economy shut down and people stayed in their homes—the “B” phase—the upward trend reversed, and the curve was headed down. As state governments and governors decided it was time to re-open, albeit with admonishments about social distancing—the return to baseline or second “A” phase—the number of cases clearly increased again.
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ABAB Research Design
An ABAB research design, also called a withdrawal or reversal design, is used to determine if an intervention is effective in changing the behavior of a participant. The design has four phases denoted by A1, B1, A2, and B2. In each phase, repeated measurements of the participant’s behavior are obtained. Hence, the participant serves as his or her own control. The first phase, A1, is used to establish a baseline for the behavior. The intervention phase, B1, is introduced after a stable baseline has been established. In the third phase, A2, the intervention is withdrawn, and the baseline condition is reinstated. After baseline stability has been reestablished, the intervention is presented a second time, the B2 phase. Baseline measurements are taken until they stabilize at ...
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