Between-case standardized mean differences: Flexible methods for single-case designs.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Educational Psychology
• Quantitative Research Methods

Background:

• Single-case designs (SCDs) are crucial for evaluating interventions in educational and clinical settings.
• Visual analysis is common, but quantitative methods are needed for synthesizing results and generalization.
• Existing between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD) methods are limited to specific SCDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend existing BC-SMD methods to more complex multiple baseline designs.
• To provide quantitative synthesis tools for a wider range of single-case research.
• To facilitate systematic generalizations across diverse SCDs.

Main Methods:

• Developed BC-SMD estimation methods for replicated multiple baseline (across behaviors/settings), clustered multiple baseline, and multivariate multiple baseline designs.
• Illustrated the proposed methods by re-analyzing data from a published SCD study.
• Focused on extending quantitative synthesis capabilities for complex SCDs.

Main Results:

• Successfully extended BC-SMD estimation to several complex multiple baseline design variations.
• Demonstrated the practical application of these new methods through data re-analysis.
• Provided a framework for more robust quantitative synthesis across diverse SCDs.

Conclusions:

• The developed BC-SMD methods offer enhanced quantitative synthesis for complex single-case designs.
• These methods facilitate more systematic generalizations and integration of findings across various research approaches.
• Expanded quantitative tools are vital for advancing evidence-based practices informed by single-case research.