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Multiple treatment interference in the alternating treatments design as a function of the intercomponent interval
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Multiple treatment interference in research designs can be reduced by increasing the time between treatment conditions. Longer intercomponent intervals (ICI) improve differential responding, crucial for accurate results.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Experimental Design
Background:
- Multiple treatment interference occurs when treatments administered to the same subject influence each other.
- Alternating treatments designs are susceptible to this interference, potentially confounding results.
Observation:
- Two studies investigated the impact of intercomponent interval (ICI) length on multiple treatment interference.
- Short ICIs (1 minute) in alternating treatments designs led to a lack of differential responding, indicating interference.
Findings:
- Increasing the ICI to 120 minutes resulted in differential responding, suggesting reduced interference.
- The length of the ICI significantly influences the presence and severity of multiple treatment interference.
Implications:
- Optimizing ICI length is critical for accurate interpretation of results in alternating treatments designs.
- Findings support the need to carefully consider temporal spacing of interventions to mitigate confounding effects.