ABA Exam CoachLessons · D. Experimental Design
D.5 · Single-case vs. group designs
Is it better to study one person closely or a thousand people on average? It depends on the question you're asking, and in this lesson you'll learn how to tell which one a question calls for.
Key takeaway
Single-case designs show how each individual responds. Each person serves as their own control, behavior is measured over and over, and you can adjust treatment as the data come in. Group designs estimate an average effect across a population, which suits policy and actuarial questions. A group average may not describe any real person, and a single-case result gains generality through replication, not through a big sample.
Single-case designs show how each individual responds. Each person serves as their own control, behavior is measured over and over, and you can adjust treatment as the data come in. Group designs estimate an average effect across a population, which suits policy and actuarial questions. A group average may not describe any real person, and a single-case result gains generality through replication, not through a big sample.
Members get the full lesson video, notes and a 5-question test
The video walks through the idea, worked examples, the trap people fall into and an exam-style question. The notes and the checkpoint come with it, and your results feed your Where to focus plan.