ABAB design
Pronunciation: A-B-A-B design
A single-case experimental design alternating between baseline and intervention phases to demonstrate functional control.
Full Definition
An ABAB design is a withdrawal design used in single-case research where A represents baseline phases and B represents intervention phases. The design begins with baseline measurement, introduces the intervention, withdraws it to return to baseline, and then reintroduces the intervention. This pattern demonstrates experimental control by showing that behavior changes correspond to the presence or absence of the intervention. The design is considered the gold standard for demonstrating functional relationships in behavioral research, though ethical considerations may limit its use when effective treatments are withdrawn.
Usage
Usage note: Capitalize as ABAB, not abab or Abab.
In Context
- "The researchers used an ABAB design to demonstrate that the intervention was responsible for the reduction in self-injurious behavior." — Research article
- "Due to the severity of the behavior, an ABAB design was deemed unethical, so a multiple baseline approach was selected instead." — IRB protocol