The effect of a dense schedule of feedback on the behavioral ratings of a male adolescent sex offender

The present study investigated whether a more dense schedule of feedback would improve the behavioral ratings of an adolescent male sex offender. A single-subject A-B-A experimental design was chosen due to the limited number of available subjects in the population and because this design has received favorable reviews within clinical settings. The subject was selected after a careful screening process which eliminated many other subjects from consideration due to possible threats to validity. During baseline, the subject received written and verbal feedback concerning his behavior only once a shift. During the treatment phase, the subject received feedback seven times a shift. Post-treatment consisted of a return to baseline conditions. Each phase lasted for a period of eight weeks except for the post-treatment interval which was terminated after the sixth week. The subject's behavioral ratings (scores) for each shift were graphed, as were the average scores for each week. The resulting graphs were visually inspected to determine if there were any clinically significant effects. The number of trips the subject took to time-out and the amount of time he spent on Discipline Level were also analyzed. The results of these graphs and their implications were discussed. The author was able to conclude that the increased amount of feedback resulted in a higher level of behavioral ratings and that the subject spent less time on Discipline Level because of these higher scores. Another important, but as yet unrelated, outcome was the decrease in the number of trips to time-out during the treatment phase of the study. Due to the concern of generalizing results from this type of design, the author stresses that replications of the study should be conducted.