Creating Plots for Single-Subject Research Designs in R

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Data Visualization
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Single-subject experimental designs are widely used in behavioral analysis.
• Current methods for graphing single-subject data are time-consuming and require costly software licenses.
• Existing tools lack specific features for diverse single-subject design data plotting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce novel R functions for automated plotting of single-subject experimental design data.
• To provide a shareable and user-friendly R package (RDARBS) for behavior science data analysis and representation.
• To streamline the process of creating publication-quality graphs for various single-subject designs.

Main Methods:

• Development of four specialized functions within the R programming language.
• Integration of these functions into a dedicated R package (RDARBS) for easy access and distribution.
• Demonstration of function application using reversal, multi-element, changing criteria, and multiple baseline designs.

Main Results:

• The R package RDARBS successfully automates the generation of plots tailored to specific single-subject experimental designs.
• Functions facilitate the creation of accurate and visually informative graphs, meeting established plotting criteria.
• The package offers a convenient and efficient alternative to manual graphing methods and commercial software.

Conclusions:

• The developed R functions and package offer a significant advancement in visualizing single-subject experimental design data.
• This tool enhances efficiency and accessibility for researchers in behavior analysis and related fields.
• The RDARBS package provides a valuable, cost-effective solution for specialized data representation in behavior science.