ABA Exam CoachLessons · D. Experimental Design
D.8 · Comparative, component, and parametric analyses
So your intervention works. Great! But here's the next big question: which option works best, which parts actually matter, and how much do you need? That's exactly what these three analyses are built to answer.
Key takeaway
Comparative analysis asks "Which treatment is better?" and tests two or more different interventions against each other. Component analysis asks "Which parts are needed?" Drop-out removes parts to find what's necessary, and add-in builds parts up to find what's sufficient. Parametric analysis asks "What level works best?" It keeps the same intervention and varies one dimension, like break length or reinforcer amount. The shared rationale is efficiency, better treatment fit, and a clearer picture of the functional relation.
Comparative analysis asks "Which treatment is better?" and tests two or more different interventions against each other. Component analysis asks "Which parts are needed?" Drop-out removes parts to find what's necessary, and add-in builds parts up to find what's sufficient. Parametric analysis asks "What level works best?" It keeps the same intervention and varies one dimension, like break length or reinforcer amount. The shared rationale is efficiency, better treatment fit, and a clearer picture of the functional relation.
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.