Toward a standard assembly of linear graphs

Area of Science:

• School Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Special Education

Background:

• Single-case data are vital for research and practice in school psychology.
• They inform treatment effectiveness and individual-level decisions within multitiered systems of support (MTSS).
• Current practice often relies on visual analysis of graphs, lacking standardized construction guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the development and adoption of standards for constructing linear graphs used in single-case data analysis.
• To highlight the potential for graphical display elements to influence effect size judgments.

Main Methods:

• The paper reviews existing literature on single-case experimental design and visual analysis.
• It discusses the impact of graphical display elements on interpretation.
• It emphasizes the need for standardized graph construction.

Main Results:

• Emerging research indicates that graphical display elements (e.g., axis scaling) can significantly impact visual analysis of effect sizes.
• Lack of standardized graph construction poses a risk to accurate decision-making.

Conclusions:

• The field of school psychology must establish and implement standards for linear graph construction.
• Adopting these standards is crucial for ensuring the integrity of single-case data analysis and informed decision-making within MTSS frameworks.