Suppose you’re a dog owner and
are working with your 3-year-old Labrador retriever. When the dog goes for
walks, he growls fiercely at other dogs. You want to reduce your dog’s growling
behavior, so you decide to try a technique you learned on television: pressing
firmly on the dog’s neck and saying a forceful, quick “Shhhhh!” sound when the
dog begins to growl at other dogs. You decide to apply a small-N design to
investigate the effectiveness of your training regimen.

a. Which
small-N design(s) would be appropriate for this situation?

b. Choose one
small-N design and describe how you would conduct your study.

c. Sketch a graph of the results you would predict from your
design if your treatment worked. Use Figures 13.10, 13.12, and 13.13 as models.

d. Explain whether you could conclude from your study’s
results that the treatment caused your dog’s aggressive behavior to decrease.