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SargentFire12462
My target behavior is to increase daily water intake to at least 8…
My target behavior is to increase daily water intake to at least 8 glasses per day for an individual in a home setting. The operational definition for this is: the behavior of increasing daily water intake will be operationally defined as the individual consuming at least 8 glasses (each glass containing 8 ounces of water) of water per day, during the period of 24 hours, for a minimum of 14 consecutive days. The individual will be required to drink water from a glass or a water bottle, and not from other sources such as coffee, tea, soda, or other beverages.
Given the above information:
1. Select an appropriate measure for the selected targeted behavior, based on the dimension of concern, and an appropriate observation period in which to conduct measurement of this target. Make sure if you are selecting discontinuous measurement, you select an observation period that can be replicated reliably. Create a data sheet for use in the measurement of this target.
2. Measure a baseline level of the target behavior. Remember the definition of baseline: a condition of an experiment in which the independent variable is NOT present. This doesn’t mean that no variable is present; it means you have not added or manipulated the independent variable YOU would intend to use for behavior change. You will not need to intervene in this assignment – just measure a baseline, so select any behavior that you can observe more than once. You will need a sufficient number of data points to gather a complete baseline (until steady state responding is demonstrated), capable of predictive functions. 3 data points are the minimum; 5 are recommended. If the data gathered is highly variable, a longer baseline might even be recommended. Record the measures on your data sheet.
3. Create a visual display using a line graph of the baseline data of this target behavior. Title both the graph and the baseline condition. Use Excel or a comparable program to create your graph. All aspects of a graph are expected to be complete: axes scales and titles, graph title, data points, stable baseline, clear or delete legend (since only 1 data path).
4. Calculate the mean level of the baseline data and draw a mean line on your draw (use the drawing tool or symbol tool on excel and draw a line at the mean level).
5. Underneath the graph (or on a separate page, if you like), label the trend of the baseline condition. Describe the variability of the baseline phase (stable, moderately variable, highly variable). Examine the following graph and select which pattern most closely approximates your baseline.
6. Examine the baseline data. What prediction can you make about the future behavior based on this examination? You can use this phrase to answer this question: “If no changes occur in the environment, the future rate of this behavior would ….”. Write this prediction underneath the graph, with the information from item 5, above.
