Using Using Brief Experimental Analysis to Increase Food Consumption for an Adult with an Eating Disorder: A Case Study

The present study investigated the utility of brief experimental analysis applied to reinforcer assessments in providing a data-based course of treatment targeting food consumption for an adult with Anorexia. Results of two brief experimental analyses indicated the subject consumed more grams of food during the contingent positive attention condition when compared to three other conditions. A brief extended analysis based on the results of the experimental analyses found that positive attention increased the subject’s food consumption during lunch and dinner. Results provide preliminary evidence for using brief experimental analyses for identifying contingent relationships between food consumption and maintaining reinforcers. This might be helpful for those developing prescriptive treatments to increase food consumption of adults with Anorexia.

Brief Experimental Analysis of Math Interventions: A Synthesis of Evidence

Brief experimental analysis (BEA) is a quick method used to identify the function of student learning difficulties and match effective interventions to students’ needs. Extensive work has been done to explore the use of this methodology to determine effective reading interventions; however, a smaller number of published studies have examined the use of BEAs in math. The purpose of the current review was to identify all studies that have used BEA methodology in math. Fifteen studies that included 63 participants and used BEA methodology to identify the most effective math intervention for students were located. Results of the synthesis indicate that the majority of BEAs compared skill and performance interventions on computational fluency; however, the methodology across the included studies varied. Strengths and limitations of the research, in addition to implications for research and practice, are discussed.

False Discovery Rates When Engaging in Skill Versus Performance Deficit Analysis for Academic Instructional Planning

Brief experimental analysis (BEA) is a well-researched approach to conducting problem analysis, where potential interventions are pilot tested using a single-subject alternating treatment design. However, its brevity may lead to a high frequency of decision-making errors, particularly in situations where one tested condition is rarely optimal for students (i.e., the base rate). The current study explored the accuracy of a specific variant of BEA, skill versus performance deficit analysis (SPA), across different variations of the basic BEA design, score difference thresholds, and reading and math curriculum-based measurements (CBMs). Findings indicate that the ABAB design provides a reasonable control of such error rates when using reading CBM, whereas subtraction CBM required the use of an ABABAB design. Such error rates could not be controlled, regardless of design, when using multiplication CBM. Implications for best practice in the use of BEA are discussed.