Which strategy involves repeatedly exposing a subject to a given condition until the responding pattern stabilizes before introducing the next condition?

• A. Steady State Strategy
• B. Reversal Design
• C. Multiple Baseline
• D. Alternating Treatments

Answer: (A)

This item is about ensuring stable responding under one condition before moving to the next. In the Steady State Strategy, you present a given condition repeatedly until the responding pattern stabilizes—meaning the data show little drift and a consistent level across sessions. Only after reaching that stability do you introduce the next condition. This approach helps you attribute any subsequent change in behavior to the new condition rather than to ongoing fluctuations from the current one.

Think of it as letting the learner settle into a condition so you can clearly observe the effect of the next change. If you rushed to the next condition, you wouldn’t know whether a shift in behavior was due to instability under the first condition or to the new condition itself. By waiting for steady responding, you get a cleaner, more interpretable assessment of each condition’s impact.

Other designs differ in how they handle timing and changes. Reversal design switches back to a prior condition to test for a return of the original behavior, rather than waiting for stability under one condition before moving on. Multiple baseline involves staggering the introduction of a treatment across targets or settings rather than waiting for stability within a single condition. Alternating treatments compare conditions quickly by switching back and forth, often without waiting for stability in either condition.