SYLLABUS PS Thesis in Applied Behavior Analysis I (3 credits) Caldwell College Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis

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1 SYLLABUS PS Thesis in Applied Behavior Analysis I (3 credits) Caldwell College Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis Semester: Fall 2009 Room: ACA Room 320 Professor: Kenneth F. Reeve, PhD, BCBA kreeve@caldwell.edu Homepage: faculty.caldwell.edu/kreeve Office Hours: Th 1-4pm, and by appointment Office and Phone: Psychology Suite, Room 6-330, phone , fax Prerequisite Courses: Students must have completed all other MA coursework prior to taking Ps650. Any deviations from this requirement must be approved by the Coordinator of the ABA graduate programs and the Dean for Graduate and Continuing Studies. Background of the Thesis Process: The primary outcomes assessment of a student's experience and training in the Caldwell College MA in Applied Behavior Analysis Program is the formal research thesis. The purpose of the thesis is to enhance students abilities to: (1) conceptualize a research question that is socially significant and important to the further development of applied behavior analysis; and (2) apply sound research strategies in answering this question. Broadly, the thesis requirements involve conceptualizing an original empirical research project, conducting the research project, writing a scholarly paper pertaining to the research study, defending the project, and having the thesis project accepted by the student s Thesis Committee and the Office of Graduate Studies. The student will be provided with opportunities to complete these requirements in the two-part course sequence Ps650 Thesis in Applied Behavior Analysis I and Ps651 Thesis in Applied Behavior Analysis II. Students must obtain a grade of B or better in Ps650 Thesis in ABA I before they will be allowed to take the second course in the thesis sequence. In Ps650 Thesis in ABA I, students will form a thesis committee, propose a research study, report on the literature relevant to the topic, and seek IRB approval for the study. In Ps651 Thesis in ABA II, students will collect data for their study and write the results of the study in a formal research paper. The thesis paper will then be orally defended. The final thesis defense and completed thesis paper must be approved by the student s Thesis Committee and the Caldwell College Office of Graduate Studies before a student will be granted the MA degree and be allowed to graduate. NOTE NEW REQUIREMENT: Students that do not complete their Thesis requirements by the conclusion of Ps651 Thesis in ABA II will be required to register for the course Ps652 Thesis in ABA III in the summer. This will also necessitate a change in your graduation from May to December. This will be discussed in class. Thesis Requirements and Forms: All required forms and documentation for the thesis process can be found on the course webpage (access this through my home page). These include: (a) Thesis handbook manual (b) Thesis Committee Appointment Form (c) Thesis Proposal Approval Form (d) IRB Forms Ps 650 Course Background and Objectives: Although the mastery of course work is important, the design, implementation, and presentation of a research thesis are unique experiences of graduate study. The thesis is recognized as a major and independent academic achievement of a graduate student s career. While the thesis experience is intended to produce a contribution to the professional literature, the thesis represents a creative research effort that should advance the student s knowledge, skills, and understanding in both the implementation of applied behavior analytic interventions and in appropriate scientific research methodology. By engaging in this process, students will also develop and establish an area of expertise within the discipline of ABA. In this course (Ps650), which is part I of the required two-part thesis course sequence, the ultimate goal is to produce an approved thesis proposal. Students will first develop an empirical

2 research question related to the use of applied behavior analysis as an educational intervention for a particular socially relevant skill set. It is expected that the research question will involve the manipulation of objective educational variables to determine their functional relation to the learning of skills of social importance/relevance. Students will then investigate the already existing research literature relevant to that question and write a literature review in the format of the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide. Students will then develop a formal written research proposal that uses an appropriate single-participant research design (e.g., multiple-baseline, alternating treatment, changing criterion, reversal design, etc), orally present and defend the proposed study to his or her thesis committee, write a formal letter of informed consent for the participant(s) and/or their guardian(s), and develop a request for approval to conduct the research from the Caldwell College Human Rights Institutional Review Board (IRB). Students will also be required to choose a thesis committee. Only upon successful completion of Ps650 (with a grade of B or better), will students then be permitted to take part II (Ps651) of this course sequence. In the second course (Ps651), students will conduct their empirical research study, analyze all relevant data collected, write the research study report in the approved style of the American Psychological Association (APA), and then orally present and defend the study to the committee. The completed thesis should be a scholarly work that will be of professional presentation and/or publication quality. Required Readings: (Note: Books asterisked * should have been purchased in prior courses for students in the MA in ABA or MA in SPED with ABA specialization programs): 1. American Psychological Association (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: Sixth Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 2. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board s Ethics and Conduct guidelines. (download at 3. *Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2 nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 4. *Readings used in PS 534 such as Richards, S. B., Taylor, R. L., Ramasamy, R., & Richards, R. Y. (1999). Single subject research: Applications in educational and clinical settings. San Diego, CA: Singular. Course Grade: Your grade will be based on the number of total points you earn out of a possible perfect score of 100 points. You can potentially earn 100 points from the following breakdown: Assignment Possible Points Formal Research Question submission 5 Thesis Committee form submission 5 Article Guides 15 Article Summary Overview 5 Literature Review 15 Informed Consent Letter 5 IRB Application 5 Formal Research proposal (written in APA style) 20 Oral Defense of Research proposal 25 Total 100 2

3 I. Formal Research Question: By the second class meeting, all students are required to submit a 3-5 page research question mini-proposal. The mini-proposal should include an identification of the relevant independent and dependent variables (fully operationally defined), the social significance of the targeted skill set(s), a rationale for the research question, a general description as to how the research would be carried out, and a graph with hypothesized data. The research question you wish to answer in your study must be one that can be run in a reasonable time (about 2-3 months). It is also important to consider the availability of resources and participants for your study before deciding on a project. A more detailed handout regarding this requirement is located on the course webpage. II. Thesis Committee Appointment: The Thesis Committee will consist of the student s Ps650 Thesis in ABA I professor along with two other professionals with doctoral degrees in applied behavior analysis (or another discipline relevant to the thesis research). At least one of these other two professionals must be a full-time Caldwell College ABA faculty member. The third member may come from another institution or may be the director/supervisor of a school program or agency that uses an applied behavior analytic intervention model. The Ps650 Thesis in ABA I professor will serve as the Thesis Committee Chair of a student s thesis committee. By the second class meeting of this course, all students are required to complete the Thesis Committee Appointment Form, obtain the appropriate signatures, and submit it to the Ps650 Professor. A student should solicit recommendations from the Ps650 Thesis in ABA I professor prior to inviting an individual to become a member of the Thesis Committee. In addition to the form, written verification from all three members are required (although an is sufficient). More information on this process can be found in the thesis manual. III. Literature Review (including article synopses): Using traditional or computer-based search techniques, you should review major relevant research articles appearing in peer-reviewed, refereed journals in your area of study. (The Jennings Library offers workshops on using PsycINFO and other computerized information services should you need a refresher.) 1. A minimum of articles should be reviewed in your literature review paper. 2. For each article that will appear in your literature review paper, you must write an article guide that includes each article s (a) purpose, (b) methods used, (c) experimental design used, (d) results, and (e) implications. Students are invited to use the article summary guide, found on the course webpage. 3. Students must also submit paper copies of each journal article along with the article guides. 4. Finally, you should then summarize these articles in a 5-10 page literature review paper written in the style of the most recent edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual. 5. Most of this literature review paper will later serve as the Introduction section of your formal thesis research proposal. In general, your literature review should include relevant primary articles in ABA that are related directly to your research topic. You should read the original articles (the primary source) and not rely on another author s review of the literature (which is a secondary source). A successful literature review demonstrates your command of the primary literature relevant to your research question. Your review should show the data gap that your research will fill or address. Your review should be critical, describing problems in design or interpretation evident in prior studies. 3

4 IV. Formal Written Proposal of Thesis Research: A written research proposal includes a (a) review of the relevant research literature (b) statement of the research problem and the rationale for your proposed empirical research (c) comprehensive methods section including a detailed description of the experimental procedure and experimental design to be used (d) hypothesized results section that describes how the data should turn out and how it will be analyzed (e) discussion of the hypothesized data which integrates the findings with the research literature presented in the introduction (f) reference section (g) formal figure(s) depicting the hypothesized data in graphical form The proposal should be of sufficient detail and length (about 15 double-spaced pages) and include sufficient references to allow others to determine the relevance and value of the topic selected. The student's Ps650 Thesis in ABA I professor will evaluate the proposal with respect to: the scholarly contribution of the thesis to the discipline of ABA, experimental methodology, style (APA guide), grammar, and clarity. Prior to orally presenting/defending the thesis proposal during the Ps650 Thesis in ABA I class, the student must obtain the Thesis Proposal Approval Form, complete the student section of the form, and present the form to the Thesis Committee Chair. After the proposal s defense by the student, the Thesis Committee will excuse the student from the room and will discuss the student's proposed research and performance at the proposal defense. Each Thesis Committee member will sign the Thesis Proposal Approval Form. In addition, the Thesis Committee Chair will complete the Chair's Report section of the Thesis Proposal Approval Form. This section will document the status of the research proposal and any changes the Thesis Committee requires before the student may begin conducting the thesis research and before the student may take the Ps651 Thesis in ABA II course. The status granted for the proposal will be one of the following: (a) approved with no revisions (b) approved with minor revisions (c) approval withheld pending completion of major revisions If approval is granted, the student must submit the original copy of the signed Thesis Proposal Approval Form to the Office of Graduate Studies and retain one copy for his or her own records. If minor revisions are required, the student will submit to the Thesis Committee Chair the revised proposal with a new Thesis Proposal Approval Form and on approval proceed as above; in this case a second defense is not necessary. If approval is withheld, the student will reschedule a defense and provide a new Thesis Proposal Approval Form; if not successful the second time, the student s candidacy will be terminated. Only in exigent circumstances may a student petition for a third proposal defense. 4

5 Weekly Timeline of Course Activities: (This is formatted as a check list to help you keep track of requirements as they arise and as they are completed). Week 1 9/3 ( ) Introduction and discussion of requirements Week 2 ( ) Submit research question mini-proposal 9/10 ( ) Submit Thesis Committee Appointment form ( ) Submit 6-7 article summaries (and paper copy of original articles) Week 3 ( ) Preliminary student reports on research proposals 9/17 ( ) Submit 6-7 article summaries (and paper copy of original articles) Week 4 ( ) Preliminary student reports on literature review 9/24 ( ) Submit 6-7 article summaries (and paper copy of original articles) Week 5 ( ) Initial development of Informed Consent letters and application for IRB approval 10/1 ( ) Submit article summary overview for all summarized journal articles (and copies of any remaining original articles) Week 6 ( ) Progress of literature reviews and research proposals discussed; 10/8 ( ) progress of Informed Consent letters and application for IRB approval discussed ( ) Submit draft of method section ( ) Submit outline of literature review Week 7 ( ) Submit IRB applications and informed consent letters (including administration permission if the institution that you are conducting research does not have its own IRB 10/15 ( ) Method section and outline of lit review returned to students and discussed Week 8 ( ) Formal literature reviews due; 10/22 ( ) Progress of research proposals discussed Week 9 ( ) Formal literature reviews returned to students and discussed; 10/29 ( ) Progress of research proposals discussed Week 10 ( ) Formal research proposals due; 11/5 ( ) Strategies for research proposal presentation and defense discussed Week 11 ( ) Formal research proposals returned to students and discussed; 11/12 ( ) Revisions to research proposals outlined by students; ( ) Research proposal presentations/defense scheduled Weeks ( ) Research proposal presentations/defense conducted with Thesis Committee; 11/19 ( ) submit Thesis Proposal Approval form to Graduate Studies 12/3 ( ) Discussion of suggested revisions 12/10 ( ) Progress of IRB applications discussed ( ) Submission of completed/revised research proposals; ( ) Assessment of student status/progress to move forward to Ps651 ( ) submit final Thesis Proposal Approval form, if necessary