A proposal for the assessment of replication of effects in single‐case experimental designs
A free Brinley plot now lets you see, in one picture, if a single-case effect replicates across kids or studies.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Manolov et al. (2022) built a free computer tool that draws a modified Brinley plot.
You paste in data from two single-case studies. The plot shows if the effect repeats.
The team also wrote a clear four-step checklist for deciding "yes, it replicated" or "no, it didn’t."
What they found
The tool turned long number lists into one easy picture.
When the dots cluster below the diagonal line, the effect copied across kids or studies.
The paper walks readers through real data so you can see the plot in action.
How this fits with other research
Iversen (2025) pushes the idea further. He says replication also happens inside one session when each trial acts like a mini-experiment.
Jacobs (2019) asked for better numbers in single-case work. The new plot answers that call with a visual test instead of a p-value.
Lanovaz et al. (2017) gave phase-length rules for the dual-criteria method. The Brinley plot adds a second visual aid you can use after you collect enough points.
Why it matters
You no longer need to eyeball two graphs side by side. Upload the data, glance at the plot, and show parents or teachers if the skill gain repeats. Use the tool next time you run a multiple-baseline across students and need fast, clear proof the intervention works for more than one kid.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In science in general and in the context of single‐case experimental designs, replication of the effects of the intervention within and/or across participants or experiments is crucial for establishing causality and for assessing the generality of the intervention effect. Specific developments and proposals for assessing whether an effect has been replicated or not (or to what extent) are scarce, in the general context of behavioral sciences, and practically null in the single‐case experimental designs context. We propose an extension of the modified Brinley plot for assessing how many of the effects replicate. To make this assessment possible, a definition of replication is suggested, on the basis of expert judgment, rather than on statistical criteria. The definition of replication and its graphical representation are justified, presenting their strengths and limitations, and illustrated with real data. A user‐friendly software is made available for obtaining automatically the graphical representation.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2022 · doi:10.1002/jaba.923