The multiple baseline design across exemplars

Three variations of the multiple baseline design (MBD) have been identified in the behavioral literature: MBD across behaviors, subjects and situations. This analysis proposes an important variant of the MBD across behaviors, namely the MBD across exemplars. In this variant, two or more components (exemplars) of the behavior class form the baselines of the design. Thus, intervention is applied separately and sequentially to each target exemplar. The implicit rule of the MBD across exemplars can be seen in several published papers in the behavioral literature. The value of recognizing this variant of the MBD across behaviors is its usefulness as an alternative experimental intervention in clinical settings where the possibility of a convincing research design might not otherwise be seen.