Which design is most appropriate when reversal of a behavior is not ethical?

Which design is most appropriate when reversal of a behavior is not ethical?

• A. AB Design
• B. Multiple Baseline Across Settings/Tasks
• C. ABAB Reversal
• D. Changing Criterion

Answer: (B)

When reversal of a behavior is not ethical, we avoid designs that require turning the treatment off. Reversal designs, like ABAB, depend on returning to baseline to show that changes in behavior follow the intervention, but withdrawing treatment can reintroduce harm or remove benefits. The best alternative is a multiple baseline approach across settings or across tasks. By introducing the intervention at staggered times in different settings (for example, home, school, clinic) or across different tasks, you can demonstrate that the behavior changes only when the treatment is applied, without withdrawing it. This provides strong evidence of control while keeping the participant safe and avoiding ethically problematic reversals. The other designs either do not provide the same cross-context replication (changing-criterion) or require withdrawal of treatment (ABAB) or lack replication across settings (a simple AB design), making them less suitable when reversal isn’t ethical.

When reversal of a behavior is not ethical, we avoid designs that require turning the treatment off. Reversal designs, like ABAB, depend on returning to baseline to show that changes in behavior follow the intervention, but withdrawing treatment can reintroduce harm or remove benefits. The best alternative is a multiple baseline approach across settings or across tasks. By introducing the intervention at staggered times in different settings (for example, home, school, clinic) or across different tasks, you can demonstrate that the behavior changes only when the treatment is applied, without withdrawing it. This provides strong evidence of control while keeping the participant safe and avoiding ethically problematic reversals. The other designs either do not provide the same cross-context replication (changing-criterion) or require withdrawal of treatment (ABAB) or lack replication across settings (a simple AB design), making them less suitable when reversal isn’t ethical.