Which term demonstrates that prior level of baseline responding would have remained unchanged had the independent variable not been introduced?

• A. TREND
• B. VALIDITY
• C. VERIFICATION
• D. ACCURACY

Answer: (C)

Verifying experimental control by showing baseline stability without the manipulation. This idea asks you to identify a term that expresses that the prior level of baseline responding would have stayed the same if the independent variable had not been introduced. In single-subject designs, verification is the process of confirming that the changes observed after applying the intervention wouldn’t have occurred without the IV. If you can demonstrate that the baseline level would remain unchanged in the absence of the intervention, you’re providing evidence that the IV caused the observed change. For example, a stable baseline with no drift suggests that the level would have stayed the same without the treatment, supporting the claim of a treatment effect. By contrast, trend describes the slope or direction of data over time, and validity or accuracy relate to measurement quality, not to counterfactual baseline stability.