Definition
A fundamental principle in single-case design research, where the behavior of interest is first measured during a “baseline” phase (before any intervention). This serves as a comparison point to evaluate the effects of an intervention or treatment. The logic behind this design lies in observing changes in behavior from baseline to intervention phases to determine if the independent variable (intervention) caused the observed changes.
Example
A behavior analyst is studying the effect of a token economy system on increasing a student’s completion of homework assignments. The analyst begins by collecting baseline data for two weeks, measuring how many homework assignments the student completes without any reinforcement. During the intervention phase, the token economy is introduced, and the analyst continues to measure the number of assignments completed. By comparing the student’s behavior during the baseline and intervention phases, the analyst can determine if the token economy was effective in increasing homework completion.