BCBA STUDY QUESTIONS

102. Which design is preferable if you are working with a client who wants to lose weight and believes it will be best to set a goal and have reinforcers met for gradually decreasing increments of weight? 102.a. Changing criterion 102.b. Multiple baseline 102.c. Reversal 102.d. Withdrawal

102. Answer: a 102. Explanation: The question makes reference to the reinforcer being contingent on a changing criteria so this design would probably be the most appropriate.

103. A 17 year-old with autism turns 18 and the behavior analyst wants to increase the variety of foods the individual chooses by withholding chocolate milk. Who should provide consent? 103.a. The parents since the child has autism 103.b. The individual 103.c. Neither 103.d. Both

103. Answer: b 103. Explanation: While it may be beneficial for the parents to participate, an individual has to be declared incompetent by a court. Individuals who have reached the age of capacity can provide their own consent.

104. A student exhibits self injury and aggressive behavior. Both behaviors appear to serve the functions of escape from demand and attention from peers. A behavioral colleague suggests the behaviors happen due to a multiple personality disorder. To help the colleague and student, you take a baseline on self-injury and aggression. On day 5, you begin a token economy program that reduces self-injury. On day 10, you implement the token economy for aggressive behavior which reduces to zero levels. Your initial data suggests your token economy _____. 104.a. is rather ineffective 104.b. increases response rates 104.c. has generality across behaviors 104.d. needs more probes

104. Answer: c 104. Explanation: If procedures can be extended to different target behaviors, other people, other settings, the behavior analyst has more evidence that the procedures have generality.

105. A student exhibits self injury and aggressive behavior. Both behaviors appear to serve the functions of escape from demand and attention from peers. A behavioral colleague suggests the behaviors happen due to a multiple personality disorder. To help the colleague and student, you take a baseline on self-injury and aggression. On day 5, you begin a token economy program that reduces self-injury. On day 10, you implement the token economy for aggressive behavior which reduces to zero levels. The design you have used is _______. 105.a. an alternating treatments 105.b. changing criterion 5 & 10 design 105.c. multiple baseline across responses 105.d. none of the above

105. Answer: c 105. Explanation: Once you know you are taking two baselines, you should comb the answers and look for multiple baseline.

106. A teacher states a student if receiving D's and F's, primarily because he rushes through his work. Quizzes and tests are typically turned in after just 5 minutes. The teacher says the student is smart and would make good grades if he would just take more time. The appropriate target for change would be _______________. 106.a. duration measure 106.b. a latency measure 106.c. percentage of occurrence 106.d. some type of interval recording

106. Answer: a 106. Explanation: Wanting to target a length of time suggests duration might be the most appropriate target.

107. While working with a student, you notice another boy who sits in a desk in the back corner. When he is taking quizzes and tests, he will violently bang his head on the desk and pull his hair. The assistant in the class says the parents feel this is his way of handling stress. You put a plan in place where the student is to be monitored within arm's length and the desk is to be taken away if he bangs his head. Putting this plan in place is ______________. 107.a. unethical; there is no consent 107.b. ethical 107.c. unethical; the parents have made it clear this is his individual choice 107.d. ethical; if the behavior analyst has conducted functional analysis

107. Answer: b 107. Explanation: The behavior analyst can act without consent if the behavior presents imminent harm to self or others.

11. Reinforcers establish, __________, and maintain behavior. 11.a. increase 11.b. decrease 11.c. both a & b 11.d. neither a nor b

11. Answer: a 11. Explanation: Reinforcement and increase are synonymous.

12. You are in a car crash. You hit the windshield with your head resulting in a nasty cut and severe bruising. While exiting the car, you see the crushed red metal of your car and smell burning oil. Hitting your head on the windshield is a(n) __________ stimulus. 12.a. conditioned 12.b. unconditioned 12.c. Pavlovian 12.d neutral

12. Answer: b 12. Explanation: Hitting/blunt force trauma will result in injury and reflexive behaviors that require no prior learning.

13. If the smell of burning oil after a car crash results in anxiety, it is a(n) ___________ stimulus. 13.a. conditioned 13.b. unconditioned 13.c. Pavlovian 13.d. Neutral

13. Answer: a 13. Explanation: The smell of burning oil does not necessarily lead to anxious responses. That would have to be learned by the pairing of the pain from the accident with the stimuli that were conditioned during that time (smell of burning oil, red metal).

4. You and your friends discuss stealing cigarettes. You watch your friend, Tommy, get spanked by him mom for stealing a cigarette. When you go home, you do not steal cigarettes. The change in your behavior is __________. 14.a. rule governed 14.b. operant behavior 14.c. directly contacting the contingency 14.d. an example of an establishing operation

14. Answer: a 14. Explanation: Rule governed behaviors are operant in that they are shaped via consequences. However, the behavior is shaped by an explanation or observation of the consequences, not by directly experiencing the consequences.

15. Establishing operations change the ___________ of a reinforcer. 15.a. quantity 15.b. quality 15.c. magnitude 15.d. value

15. Answer: d 15. Explanation: Establishing operations precede behavior and change the reinforcing value of a given stimulus.

16. __________ conditioning always deals with consequences. 16.a. Respondent 16.b. Pavlovian 16.c. Operant 16.d. Parsimonious

16. Answer: c 16. Explanation: Think Operant and consequences. Also Pavlov's work is referred to as "respondent conditioning" though some may call it Pavlovian conditioning. Respondents are reflexes, not affected by consequences.

17. An example of operantly conditioned behavior is ____________. 17.a. a person who is afraid of snakes due to a previous snake bite 17.b. a woman who is afraid of fire due to being burned in a house fire 17.c. a person who has never baked, reads the directions on a box and bakes a cake 17.d. getting hit on the knee and reflexively kicking

17. Answer: c 17. Explanation: There are two types of operant conditioning: contingency shaping and rule governance. In contingency shaped behavior, the individual directly experiences the consequences. In rule governed behavior, an explanation of the consequences changes the behavior. This is an example of operant conditioning; more specifically, rule governance.

18. Which is an example of rule governed behavior? 18.a. A child who is spanked for spitting quits spitting 18.b. A child who is told not to lie and tells the truth 18.c. A child who is praised for ignoring 18.d. A child who is given a cookie when making the "c" sound

18. Answer: b 18. Explanation: "B" is the only choice where the child's behavior does not directly contact the contingency.

19. Reinforcers and punishers are alike in that ________. 19.a. they increase behavior 19.b. they are respondent 19.c. they are consequences 19.d. they are antecedents

19. Answer: c 19. Explanation: Reinforcers and punishers follow behavior.

20. Your goal is to increase signing for toys/playing. Which person is likely to gain stimulus control over signing "toy/playing"? 20.a. The parent who holds up the preferred toy and has the child point to the toy 20.b. The parent who gives the child the toy immediately after the child signs "toy" 20.c. The parent who teaches multiple modes of communication: signing, talking and pictures 20.d. The parent who allows a child to play with only one toy

20. Answer: b 20. Explanation: The immediacy of reinforcement, the timing, is an important factor in making sure a stimulus functions as a reinforcer. Immediate reinforcement of the target behavior will help develop stimulus control.

21. You are a consultant with a large machine plant. They ask you to help with workers' compensation claims that are costing the company a great deal of money. You begin the assessment process by defining safe lifting, unsafe lifting, and measuring the ratio of safe lifting to unsafe lifting, which is _______________. 21.a. conceptually systematic 21.b. empirical 21.c. technological 21.d. generality

21. Answer: b 21. Explanation: Empirical refers to how behavior analysts operationally define behaviors so that the behaviors can be directly observed and objectively measured.

22. After 15 years in the field, you continue to rely on data from 15 years ago. You are being a naughty behavior analyst and violate what underlying assumption of applied behavior analysis: _________. 22.a. determinism 22.b. empiricism 22.c. philosophic doubt 22.d. teleology

22. Answer: c 22. Explanation: Behavior analysts recognize that conclusions are temporary and can be improved upon.

24. The findings of your behavioral research are scrutinized by the editors of several prestigious journals. One writes you back and says the functional assessment, operational definitions, baseline measure, interventions, and data displays follow good behavioral practice. In essence he is saying your work is ______. 24.a. conceptually systematic 24.b. empirical 24.c. technological 24.d. generality

24. Answer: a 24. Explanation: Behavior analysts consistently refer back to the basic assumptions of the field and stick to behavior analytic theories.

25. A colleague asks you to review a new journal article that focuses on increasing the abilities of adults in a day program to ride the bus, select and match clothes, and increase work output. The research in the article is _________. 25.a. experimental 25.b. applied 25.c. parsimonious 25.d selective

25. Answer: b 25. Explanation: Applied work means what the behavior analyst is doing has relevance to the individual, the community and society at large.

26. There are current presentations at the FABA conference on the rate of pen tapping during 1-hour time intervals. This study can only be construed as ________. 26.a. applied 26.b. experimental 26.c. parsimonious 26.d. generalizable

26. Answer: b 26. Explanation: The experimental analysis of behavior provides the theoretical underpinnings and foundations for applied behavior analysis. However, experimental work does not necessarily have social relevance.

27. In the ________ analysis of behavior, a child learns replacement behaviors for his explosive behavior at home and in the classroom 27.a. systematic 27.b. applied 27.c. experimental 27.d. socially relevant

27. Answer: b 27. Explanation: Improving the life of a child by exploding less and doing better at home and school is applied.

28. ________________ constitutes the theories and suppositions that guide scientific inquiry about the behavior of organisms. 28.a. Applied behavior analysis 28.b. The experimental analysis of behavior 28.c. Behaviorism 28.d. Behavior modification

28. Answer: b 28. Explanation: EAB and ABA are 2 distinct fields with rich, shared histories. EAB provides the theory that is then extended into applied fields.

29. Events that are thought to affect the phenomena of interest are carefully manipulated to elucidate their effects is the concept of ________________. 29.a. scientific manipulation 29.b. empiricism 29.c. determinism 29.d. philosophic doubt

29. Answer: a 29. Explanation: Keyword is "elucidate" which means to make clear. Behavior analysts, as behavioral scientists, can manipulate different independent variables to accurately assess the function of behaviors and the effectiveness of interventions. Scientific manipulation, functional analysis and experimental manipulation are often used interchangeably.

30. Behavior analysts attempt to use efficient procedures that are significant to the participants involved, promote generalization, and maintenance of behavior change. This is the _____________ dimension of ABA. 30.a. conceptually systematic 30.b. general 30.c. analytic 30.d. effective

30. Answer: d 30. Explanation: Behavior analysts are supposed to use assessment techniques and interventions that lead to significant, long term change.

31. Behavior analysts would never say, "That behavior happens for no reason," since behavior analysts are _________. 31.a. teleologists 31.b. psychologists 31.c. Darwinians 31.d. determinists

31. Answer: d 31. Explanation: Behavior analysts assume all behavior is purposeful even if the immediate reason for the behavior is unknown and difficult to observe.

32. ___________ is the philosophy that guides behavior analysts. 32.a. Behaviorology 32.b. Behaviorism 32.c. Behaviorists 32.d. Skinnerism

32. Answer: b 32. Explanation: Behaviorism is the belief that environments affect behavior and thus behavior change is not a result of internal functions, like mentalism which attributes cause to internal variables like a mind, or will or desire or other "non-behavior" type events.

33. ___________ provides theoretical underpinnings for studying environmental and behavior interactions. 33.a. The experimental analysis of behavior 33.b. Applied behavior analysis 33.c. Both a & b 33.d. Neither a nor b

33. Answer: a 33. Explanation: The experimental analysis of behavior involves exploring the relationships between environmental variables and behavior. However, the behaviors studied do not have social relevance.

34. If procedures are effectively applied to various people and settings, they have __________. 34.a. generality 34.b. analytic 34.c. applied 34.d. technological

34. Answer: a 34. Explanation: Generality always refers to procedures. Generalization, on the other hand, refers to behaviors or stimuli.

37. If behaviors being studied have social relevance and significance to the individuals involved, it is part of __________. 37.a. psychology 37.b. applied behavior analysis 37.c. the experimental analysis of behavior 37.d. behaviorology

37. Answer: b 37. Explanation: "Social relevance" is the key to behaviors being applied.

38. You work on improving the fine motor skills of an individual with autism. Your work is _________. 38.a. experimental 38.b. correlational 38.c. statistical 38.d. applied

38. Answer: d 38. Explanation: Working on fine motor skills might open up opportunities to the individual so the work is applied.

39. Work on shaping social behavior of a rat is _________. 39.a. experimental 39.b. correlational 39.c. statistical 39.d. applied

39. Answer: a 39. Explanation: The study does not have social relevance to an individual and a community. In general, most animal studies are regarded as part of the experimental analysis of behavior.

40. If you believe certain environmental variables affect a child's ability to remain on task and you carefully alter conditions to elucidate the effects, you have attempted ___________. 40.a. determinism 40.b. empiricism 40.c. scientific manipulation 40.d. respondent conditioning

40. Answer: c 40. Explanation: Altering conditions is scientific manipulation, sometimes referred to as systematic manipulation; "elucidate" is a keyword.

41. A colleague has an idea that either access to Gameboy and escape from demand might improve a behavior. You take baseline and continue to measure the target response while manipulating access for 1 day and then escape the next day, changing between the 2 interventions for 10 days. You are conducting a(n) ______. 41.a. parametric analysis 41.b. alternating treatments design 41.c. continuous reinforcement sample 41.d. linear analysis

41. Answer: b 41. Explanation: In this example, there are two distinct treatments (aka independent variables): access and escape. The alternating treatments design is one kind of experimental manipulation.

42. "It is likely Jaime hits herself on the head and spits on her hand because mother increases her physical contact and proximity following the behavior(s)." This is a(n) __________. 42.a. functional hypotenuse 42.b. actual demonstration of function 42.c. functional hypothesis 42.d. declaration of the operant

42. Answer: c 42. Explanation: A functional hypothesis is an educated guess about what reinforcer(s) maintains a target behavior. The statement includes the topography of the behavior and the guess about which variable (typically attention, escape/avoidance, access or automatic) is most reinforcing.

43. You instruct an adult to ignore a child's running behavior thinking this might reduce the problem. Your hypothesis, therefore, is probably that ______________ is the maintaining variable (aka reinforcer). 43.a. escape 43.b. attention 43.c. self-stimulation 43.d. access to reinforcers

43. Answer: b 43. Explanation: If attention is thought to be the maintaining variable, ignoring would be one way of implementing extinction. This example shows the necessary link between what the functional hypothesis is and how it drives intervention.

44. All of the following are examples of descriptive analysis except for ________. 44.a. reading the psychological evaluation 44.b. doing a clinical interview with the parents and teacher of an individual with autism 44.c. measuring amount of time spent in room and systematically altering attention and escape to see which variable results in longer time in room 44.d. directly observing a child with attentional difficulties in a classroom

44. Answer: c 44. Explanation: Systematically altering (manipulating) variables is part of functional analysis.

45. A descriptive analysis incorporates ___________. 45.a. analog conditions and inferential statistics 45.b. structured interviews and experimental manipulations 45.c. functional assessment tools, structured interviews, and direct observation 45.d. records review and development of insight

45. Answer: c 45. Explanation: Descriptive analysis refers to a description of the behavior that is derived from typical assessment procedures employed by behavior analysts. Descriptive analysis does not necessarily involve experimental manipulations.

46. _________ is an attempt to organize relevant data to formulate a hypothesis while ________ is an attempt to manipulate variables. 46.a. Functional analysis; descriptive analysis 46.b. Functional analysis; systematic manipulations 46.c. Descriptive analysis; functional analysis 46.d. Descriptive analysis; functional assessment

46. Answer: c 46. Explanation: Organizing data is why the behavior analyst begins with descriptive analysis. Functional analysis (aka systematic manipulations) is often undertaken once the relevant information is obtained.

47. A 12 year-old Caucasian child begins biting her hand when the teacher says, "Sit down and work, please." The teacher, whose classroom is quite cool in temperature, intervenes by doing response blocking. What is the antecedent stimulus? 47.a. the teacher's statement 47.b. response blocking 47.c. hand biting 47.d. the cool temperature

47. Answer: a 47. Explanation: Antecedent stimuli precede the behavior. "Sit down and work, please" comes before biting hand.

48. While consulting with a teacher, she states Allan becomes aggressive in order to escape group activities; thus alluding to ________. 48.a. operant stimuli 48.b. environments 48.c. consequences 48.d. a functional relationship

48. Answer: d 48. Explanation: The relationship between a behavior and the consequence that follows it is a functional relationship.

49. Structured interviews, functional assessment tools, direct observation, and ABC data collection are parts of __________. 49.a. descriptive analysis 49.b. functional analysis 49.c. systems analysis 49.d. pattern analysis

49. Answer: a 49. Explanation: People interviewed who fill out functional assessment tools, ABC sheets, and observe are beginning to describe the behavior.

50. Allan begins hitting himself in the head several hundred times. There is noticeable swelling around his eyes and temples. You are going away for the weekend. What is the best course of action? 50.a. Put an emergency procedure into place 50.b. Collect baseline over the weekend 50.c. Functionally assess the behavior when you return 50.d. Nothing, the behavior should decrease

50. Answer: a 50. Explanation: Ethically, emergency procedures need to be put in place as health and safety are always the primary concerns.

53. Billy's parents are teaching him to read. They initially say, "It's reading time," and immediately offer reinforcers when he begins to read in response to the stimulus. They also work with his teacher and provide books/magazines with sports and reading groups with his friends, which Billy enjoys. The reading behavior is maintained because _____. 53.a. it is under control of an SD, "It's reading time." 53.b. it contacts natural contingencies 53.c. it is part of the stimulus response paradigm 53.d. reading is fundamental

53. Answer: b 53. Explanation: Behavior is evoked by discriminative stimuli/SD's but behavior is maintained by reinforcers. Be careful that scenario based question don't lead you toward responding without understanding what the question is.

54. As a behavior analyst, you feel you have found an effective procedure for increasing time on task. You do some experimenting with one child and successfully employ the use of the intervention with other children in other settings. You now have more confidence that your procedure has ________. 54.a. generalization 54.b. generality 54.c. collateral benefits 54.d. Parsimony equivalency

54. Answer: b 54. Explanation: Keyword is "procedures". If procedures work with different individuals and in different settings, they have more generality.

55. Teaching a child to toilet in the classroom, in the mall restroom, and in the parent's home is aimed at the behavior __________. 55.a. discriminating 55.b. strengthening 55.c. generalizing 55.d. thinning

55. Answer: c 55. Explanation: Behaviors often generalize to untrained places and untrained settings. A skill like toileting is something you want to generalize across all environments.

56. You have completed a study on self-injurious behavior. The parents detail when the child engages in the behavior (usually at night) and let you know the child bites his arms, bangs his head on the corners of tables, and kicks his heels on the floor. This tends to happen when he is left alone during bedtime that the parents respond to by running into his room to stop him. What is the topography? 56.a. being left alone 56.b. night time 56.c. parents running in 56.d. biting arm, head banging, kicking heels

56. Answer: d 56. Explanation: The topography is the form of the behavior. A scenario like this involves great detail. However, the question is in respect to what form the behavior takes.

57. You have conducted an ABA design in which a treatment for SIB was the independent variable. What might create an interpretation problem? 57.a. Failure to control variables 57.b. Response generalization 57.c. Setting generalization 57.d. Failure of the behavior to return to baseline levels

57. Answer: d 57. Explanation: The effect of any treatment is demonstrated by the change in the behavioral measure. If the treatment yields changes in the rate of SIB and those changes persist even in a return to a baseline condition, it is reasonable to hypothesize that there is some other maintaining variable or the behavior would return to baseline levels.

58. The Behavior Analyst must consider ___________ when working with adult clients. 58.a. behaviors the relatives wish to see learned 58.b. behaviors that assist in group home living 58.c. behaviors that are likely to be reinforced in present and future environments 58.d. the role of the descriptive analysis

58. Answer: c 58. Explanation: If behavior is to be maintained, it needs to contact natural reinforcers in the current and future environments in which a person lives, works and recreates.

59. Prioritizing challenging behaviors, a Behavior Analyst would begin with _____. 59.a. the cost effectiveness of the plan 59.b. the difficulty in changing the behavior 59.c. desires of the parent/guardian 59.d. consideration of danger to client's or others' safety

59. Answer: d 59. Explanation: Health and safety supersede all other considerations.

60. You are working with a family where an adult brother and sister are living in the same house. The sister has a long history of prescription drug abuse, is lethargic and sleeps most of the day, while the brother has spent time in and out of treatment facilities for schizophrenic behaviors. During observation of one of the arguments, you note that every time the sister addresses her brother, she yells or says something derogatory to him. When she does this, the brother walks away and says, "Shut up, you drug addict. Why don't you just decrease your medication and you might feel better about yourself?" The sister is an SD for what? 60.a. The brother's verbal tirade 60.b. The brother walking away 60.c. Both a and b 60.d. Neither a nor b

60. Answer: c 60. Explanation: SD's, aka discriminative stimuli, evoke behaviors. They signal certain reinforcers are available. The sister's presence evokes the behaviors as something is reinforcing the brother's actions.

61. You are working with a family where an adult brother and sister are living in the same house. The sister has a long history of prescription drug abuse, is lethargic and sleeps most of the day, while the brother has spent time in and out of treatment facilities for schizophrenic behaviors. During observation of one of the arguments, you note that every time the sister addresses her brother, she yells or says something derogatory to him. When she does this, the brother walks away and says, "Shut up, you drug addict. Why don't you just decrease your medication and you might feel better about yourself?" The sister complains her brother always drives her crazy and shouldn't be talking about her medications. You advise the sister to refrain from yelling and making derogatory comments, a change of a(n) ______________ variable. 61.a. antecedent 61.b. consequence 61.c. temporal 61.d. equivalent

61. Answer: a 61. Explanation: Antecedents precede behaviors.

62. An adult in a workshop is prescribed 3 antipsychotic medications. All medications are taken in the morning and known side effects are increased sedation. The workshop staff complain that the adults sleeps during work time suggesting that _____________ might be impacting the adult's behaviors. 62.a. the medications as establishing operations 62.b. the lack of reinforcers in the present environment 62.c. the presence of too many unconditioned stimuli 62.d. the underlying psychiatric illness

62. Answer: a 62. Explanation: Establishing operations change the value of a reinforcer and the probability of behaviors occurring that typically result in the reinforcer.

Changing the temperature of a class alters what variable? 63.a. antecedent 63.b. ecological 63.c. independent 63.d. confounding

63. Answer: b 63. Explanation: Room temperature, lighting, noise level, seating arrangement are common examples of ecological variables.

64. If you are studying number of leg movements during a one-hour period in a classroom setting, your study is most likely part of __________________. 64.a. applied behavior analysis 64.b. experimental analysis of behavior 64.c. behaviorism 64.d. behavior modification

64. Answer: b 64. Explanation: While the behavior is studied in school, the question does not suggest what, if anything, is socially relevant about the behavior.

65. If you author a program for a severely impaired young lady with autism and put provisions in place to ensure her safety while also allowing for minimal segregation from others and the community, you have utilized ________. 65.a. sound behavioral practice 65.b. ethical decision making 65.c. forced choice procedure 65.d. psychology as a dimension of your practice

65. Answer: b 65. Explanation: Ethical decision making involves addressing the behaviors of concern while minimizing exposure to aversives and isolation.

66. All stimuli that might impact a behavior are part of an individual's _________. 66.a. operant stimuli 66.b. environment 66.c. consequences 66.d. functional relationship

66. Answer: b 66. Explanation: This is very close to the accepted definition of environment.

68. A client at an adult day treatment center is moved from a one to one staffing ratio to a three to one staffing ratio. The change in staffing ratio is what kind of intervention? 68.a. A change in reinforcement schedule 68.b. An antecedent manipulation 68.c. A probe 68.d. An ecological change

68. Answer: d 68. Explanation: This type of question leads one to thinking, "The amount of reinforcement changes" or "They're probing something". Stay within the information you have. Number of staff to clients and number of students in a class are ecological changes: they may have an impact on behavior but the variable is not discrete.

69. A parents works long and hard to get their child to dress and prepare for school. The parent provides gentle prompts and reinforces compliance with praise and stickers. The child learns to reliably dress when the parent is present. You can conclude the parent has stimulus control _____. 69.a. over the child 69.b. over the praise and stickers 69.c. over the child's dressing and preparatory behaviors 69.d. over nothing because of the generalization concerns

69. Answer: c 69. Explanation: Behaviors, not people, are strengthened/reinforced. People gain stimulus control over behaviors.

70. You are working in a home with a mother, her 12 year-old son, and a grandmother. The reason for your presence is a recent arrest for shoplifting and a suspension in school. You go to the school to collect information and find out the boy's conduct problems all occur in math class. You meet with the teacher, guidance counselor, child, mother and principal to discuss reinforcing the number of math problems the child completes. The principal insists the boy should be removed from the school and sent to a school for children with conduct disorders. The principal is advocating against the _______________. 70.a. punishment 70.b. functional assessment 70.c. least restrictive alternative 70.d. reinforcement package

70. Answer: c 70. Explanation: The correct answer can only be "c"; nowhere is there a mention of an effect on behavior nullifying "a" or "d" being an answer.

71. As all good behavior analysts do, you directly observe a boy at home. When the mother is around, she yells at him saying, "I am ashamed of you for embarrassing yourself and the family with your arrest. What do you have to say for yourself?" The boy says, "Can we talk?" and the mother says, "Leave me alone." The mother is what for the boy's requesting for time behavior? 71.a. S-delta 71.b. SP 71.c. SD 71.d. SR+

71. Answer: b 71. Explanation: While the boy engages in behavior (after all, everything we do is behavior), the net effect of the mother saying, "Leave me alone," is an attempt to decrease the son's requests. Note, at the same time, the mother avoiding interaction with the son is being negatively reinforced and is, probably, likely to recur.

72. A child advocate tells the school staff there is no reason for a child's behavior except for his bipolar disorder. The child advocate is violating what dimension of applied behavior analysis? 72.a. empiricism 72.b. determinism 72.c. philosophic doubt 72.d. scientific manipulation

72. Answer: b 72. Explanation: Determinism means behaviors are the result of environmental phenomena. Bipolar disorder is a label and labels are not sufficient explanations for behavior.

73. To conduct descriptive analysis with an adult, you need to get consent from ________. 73.a. parents 73.b. workshop managers 73.c. the adult 73.d. friends

73. Answer: c 73. Explanation: An adult who has reached the age of capacity (21 in most states), can provide consent unless they have been declared incompetent by a court of law.

74. One of the tools you use in descriptive analysis is sequence analysis. What best illustrates this tool? 74.a. Having parents record a narrative of the adult's day 74.b. Having the workshop manager record behaviors at the time they occur 74.c. Set up an ABC format sheet and have the workshop manager record behavior 74.d. Ask her to record the frequency of behaviors for one hour per day at the end of 5- minute intervals

74. Answer: c 74. Explanation: Sequence analysis is another term for antecedent-behavior-consequence, or ABC, analysis.

75. You have begun a functional assessment of a young girl who is in constant trouble at her high school. You complete structured interviews, directly observe the girl, and get some functional assessment tools completed. Your hypotheses suggest that there are several maintaining variables. In order to determine the most significant variable, you set up four analog conditions: alone, escape contingent upon challenging behavior, an enriched environment, and attention contingent upon challenging behavior. You collect and interpret data on the different conditions. What have you just done? 75.a. functional analysis 75.b. component analysis 75.c. functional assessment 75.d. pattern analysis

75. Answer: a 75. Explanation: Analog conditions is another term for manipulating distinct variables, which is what the behavior analyst does when functionally analyzing behavior. Component analysis ("b") is when a treatment package/intervention (the independent variable) is broken down to ascertain what part or parts are the most effective. Functional assessment ("c") involves records review, structured interviews and data collection but no variables are manipulated. Pattern analysis ("d") is a means to record behavior data to elucidate what time, environment, people are most often paired with certain behaviors.

76. The critical distinctions between contingency shaped and rule governed behavior is that, in contingency shaped behavior, the organism ___________. 76.a. contacts the actual consequences 76.b. does not contact the actual consequences 76.c. contingently observes before responding 76.d. responds with an increased effort

76. Answer: a 76. Explanation: Contacting the contingency is contingency shaped; learning via observation or explanation is rule governed. Both contingency shaped and rule governance are operant.

77. A teacher walks into class and says, "Take your seats," which results in the students sitting down. The behavior governed by antecedent stimuli are said to be _____________. 77.a. under stimulus control 77.b. respondently conditioned 77.c. rule-governed 77.d. extinction processes

77. Answer: a 77. Explanation: Note the behaviors are under stimulus control.

78. A system of instruction designed to minimize errors is known as _________. 78.a. stimulus fading 78.b. errorless learning 7 8.c. PSI 78.d. fading in

78. Answer: b 78. Explanation: Errorless learning is one method of discrimination training.

79. Taking baseline on two different behaviors, applying a treatment to one of the dependent measures while maintaining baseline with the other dependent variable, and then applying treatment to the second dependent variable and analyzing the data to elucidate treatment effects constitutes what kind of design? 79.a. Multiple baseline 79.b. Reversal 79.c. Withdrawal 79.d. Changing criterion

79. Answer: a 79. Explanation: The answer is in the first 6 words. Draw graphs out if necessary.

80. Tanya is talking on the phone with her friend about a client's tantrums. As a behavior analyst, you ___________. 80.a. ask Tanya to refer to Catherine as "CC" 80.b. ask Tanya to continue as she is failing to maintain confidentiality 80.c. ask Tanya to cease as she is failing to maintain confidentiality 80.d. praise Tanya for opening others' eyes to children with autism

80. Answer: c 80. Explanation: Confidentiality should govern all the work done by behavior analysts. It is extensively covered in the Guidelines for Responsible Conduct provided by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

81. Jeremy attempts to hit a staff on the head with his scooter. The Program Coordinator has him placed in a mechanical restraint and says he cannot have the scooter anymore. This might be a necessary emergency procedure but, what else is necessary? 81.a. Assessment of the factors leading up to the use of the emergency procedure 81.b. Assessment of the need for a mechanical restraint for benign behavior 81.c. Full descriptive analysis of the child's behavior in the past 24 hours 81.c. Possible use of PRN medication

81. Answer: a 81. Explanation: While health and safety are the first considerations, it is important to understand how the environmental events led to the behavior and assess the appropriateness of the interventions.

82. What are the four tenets of behavior analysis? 82.a. Determinism, empiricism, scientific inquiry, philosophic doubt 82.b. Determinism, empiricism, scientific manipulation, philosophic doubt 82.c. Determinism, behaviorism, scientific inquiry, philosophic doubt 82.c. Determinism, empiricism, scientific inquiry, law of parsimony

82. Answer: b 82. Explanation: Re-read the early section of Cooper, Chapter 1 to review if you need.

83. Unlike psychology, applied behavior analysis holds that behavior, in its own right, can be a target for change; that is, ABA is ______________. 83.a. applied 83.b. behavioral 83.c. analytic 83.d. technological

83. Answer: b 83. Explanation: Psychologists and counselors attempt to change thoughts and feelings. Being behavioral means the emphasis of the work will involve changing behavior and that behavior alone merits consideration for change.

84. You are attempting to increase a young juvenile offender's personal interactions and job skills to increase the likelihood of getting a job, earning a paycheck and meeting his probation requirements and avoiding more time at the juvenile detention center. In essence, this work is most importantly about ___________. 84.a. intermediate outcomes 84.b. ultimate outcomes 84.c. applying the analysis of behavior 84.d. providing functional equivalent replacement behaviors

84. Answer: b 84. Explanation: Ultimate outcomes not only increase social contacts and increased opportunities to access reinforcers but decrease the risk of exposure to aversive contingencies.

85. Observable, occurs in time and a combination of the two are ______. 85.a. characteristics of applied behavior analysis 85.b. characteristics of behavior 85.c. operational definitions 85.d. definitions for stimuli

85. Answer: b 85. Explanation: remember temporal locus, temporal extent and repeatability (3 dimensions of bx)

86. Saying something like "relax" instead of "sit-away" to a child is more likely to maintain results because __________. 86.a. generalization is more likely to occur 86.b. it is more likely to contact natural contingencies 86.c. observers can agree about the vernacular 86.d. it is more descriptive

86. Answer: a 86. Explanation: Generalization sometimes requires planning and teaching. If behaviors can be easily replicated in the natural environment and contact natural reinforcers, the behaviors are more likely to generalize.

87. Taking baseline, applying a treatment to one variable, returning to baseline and applying the same treatment to a different variable is a _________ design. 87.a. multiple baseline 87.b. reversal 87.c. withdrawal 87.d. changing criterion

87. Answer: b 87. Explanation: In questions like these, the behavior analyst can label the different variables accordingly: Taking baseline (A), applying a treatment to one variable (B), returning to baseline (A) and applying the same treatment to a different variable (C); ABAC is a reversal design.

88. In the ________ analysis of behavior, a behavioral scientist evaluates the patterns of different reinforcement schedules. 88.a. systematic 88.b. applied 88.c. experimental 88.d. socially relevant

88. Answer: c 88. Explanation: Reinforcement schedules are used in applied work but the question does not indicate how social relevance plays a part so the answer can only be experimental.

89. You have a child who learns to toilet at the local behavior analyst's clinic. Everywhere else, though, the child fails to toilet in a commode. The behavior has not yet ____________. 89.a. generalized 89.b. discriminated 89.c. overcorrected 89.d. evoked appropriate responding patterns

89. Answer: a 89. Explanation: Behaviors that generalize occur in many different environments and with different people.

90. ___________ would be the best way to correct the problem of a child failing to toilet in a commode. 90.a. Teach the child to ask for the bathroom 90.b. Teach the child to discriminate between the toilet and pants/bed 90.c. Teach the child how to pull up pants 90.d. Teach the child on several kinds of toilets

90. Answer: d 90. Explanation: Promoting generalization involves varying the stimuli involved in training.

91. Behavior analysts admire psychologists like Albert Ellis. Ellis' work on rationale emotive behavior therapy, pioneered in the early 1970's is sometimes met with some speculation since behavior analysts are guided by __________. 91.a. determinism 91.b. empiricism 91.c. behaviorology 91.d. philosophic doubt

91. Answer: d 91. Explanation: Behavior analysts assume conclusions are temporary and can be improved upon.

92. Which is not the best ultimate outcome? 92.a. Jaime will learn to make friends, sustain her job, and increase her recreational skills 92.b. Jaime will learn to be productive at work, interact positively with her family, and make good choices 92.c. Jamie will learn to obtain things by asking or using money, increase her contact with other people and develop a hobby 92.d. Jaime will learn social skills, independence in hygiene, and decrease verbal outbursts to one or less per week

92. Answer: d 92. Explanation: "D" is the right answer as the skills in "D" are measurable and, therefore, intermediate outcomes: skills acquired that lead up to more general ultimate outcomes.

93. Bill is tired because he was up all night with the baby, hungry because he had to fast before getting some blood work, and thirsty because he has limited breaks during a hot day. He comes home and immediately heads to the refrigerator. The refrigerator is __________. 93.a. an SD 93.b. an EO 93.c. an SP 93.d. an S-delta

93. Answer: a 93. Explanation: This scenario leads you to believe the answer should be establishing operation/EO since the examples are all establishing operations. However, the refrigerator does not increase the value of a reinforcer. It signals reinforcers are available and evokes reaching and opening behaviors.

94. You are attempting to increase a convicted criminal's personal interactions and job skills to increase the likelihood of him getting a job, earning a paycheck and meeting his probation requirements and avoiding more time in jail. In essence, this work is most importantly about ___________. 94.a. intermediate outcomes 94.b. ultimate outcomes 94.c. applying the analysis of behavior 94.d. providing functional equivalent replacement behaviors

94. Answer: b 94. Explanation: The ultimate outcome is the "big picture." It pertains to increasing reinforcers, choices and social contacts. Intermediate outcomes would be some progress steps along the way.

95. You recommend to Freddie's parents to reinforce any behavior except for flopping to the floor every 5 minutes. This is a ______. 95.a. DRO 95.b. DRI 95.c. DRA 95.d. DRL

95. Answer: a 95. Explanation: Keyword is "except". The differential reinforcer of other behavior means you offer a known reinforcer as long as the person fails to engage in the target behavior(s).

96. You no longer allow Jaime to tear her shirt or to tear from a tearing bin. You should expect _______. 96.a. an initial increase in the tearing behavior 96.b. a gradual decrease in tearing 96.c. increased interresponse time 96.d. transfer of stimulus control

96. Answer: a 96. Explanation: This is the concept of extinction: withholding a previous reinforcer. The net effect of this is, often, the extinction burst, an initial increase in response rate.

97. You increase the amount of toys, availability of drinks, and access to sing-alongs in your classroom, an effort to do _______. 97.a. functional assessment 97.b. descriptive analysis 97.c. environmental enrichment 97.d. a reinforcer survey

97. Answer: c 97. Explanation: In this case, you have not addressed an individual and have made no mention of collecting data. You've simply increased the amount of activities and reinforcers in the classroom environment.

98. Jaime sits down when you ask because you have previously reinforced sitting when you say, "Sit down." Sit down is a(n) _______. 98.a. verbal behavior 9 8.b. equivalent stimuli 98.c. discriminative stimuli 98.d. operant event

98. Answer: c 98. Explanation: Discriminative stimuli evoke behavior because of a reinforcement history.

99. Jeremy watches a child being reprimanded for cheating on a history test and, consequently, stops cheating on tests; an example of __________________. 99.a. rule-governed behavior 99.b. respondent conditioning 99.c. contingency contracting 99.d. reinforcement delivery

99. Answer: a 99. Explanation: While Jeremy has not contacted the contingency directly, his behavior is shaped by consequences; rule governed behaviors are operant.

2. An incredible fear of snakes that results from a being bitten by a snake as a youngster is an example of ________. 2.a. respondent conditioning 2.b. operant conditioning 2.c. establishing operation 2.d. extinction

Answer: a 2. Explanation: Respondent conditioned responses are often conceptualized as reflexes. The relationship is between conditioned and unconditioned stimuli that precede the response.

Which is an example of a reinforcing effect? 3.a. Use of PRN medication that increases self-injury 3.b. Providing snacks for being in seat that decrease in seat behavior 3.c. Changing the seating arrangement of the class due to more students 3.d. Ensuring the child had breakfast that morning

Answer: a 3. Explanation: Reinforcers, by definition, result in an increase in behavior. Note there is no value judgment in this statement. Behavior that increases and is maintained is being reinforced. The keyword is "increase".

Certain stimuli increase the future probability of a response when they are terminated following that response. This process is ________. 8.a. negative reinforcement 8.b. positive reinforcement 8.c. positive punishment 8.d. negative punishment

Answer: a 8. Explanation: Something terminated is a negative operation. The probability of the response increasing is a reinforcing effect.

9. The quarterback from a high school football team tries out for the baseball team. With no prior experience, he becomes a very competent pitcher. His pitching motion is an example of ________. 9.a. response generalization 9.b. stimulus generalization 9.c. generalized conditioned reinforcers 9.d. generality

Answer: a 9. Explanation: The throwing of a football and a baseball are similar, not identical, motions/behaviors. The emergence of a slightly different, untrained behavior (throwing a baseball) after training another behavior (throwing a football) is an example of response generalization.

Stimuli presented or withdrawn that decrease the future probability of a behavior are ________. 7.a. reinforcers 7.b. punishers 7.c. operant 7.d. consequences

Answer: b 7. Explanation: The keyword is "decrease". A decrease in behavior following a positive or negative operation is punishment so the stimuli are termed "punishers

1. _________________ is the relationship between an antecedent, a response, and a consequence; that is some change in the consequence alters some extent of the response class. 1.a. Pavlovian conditioning model 1.b. The respondent conditioning model 1.c. The operant conditioning model 1.d. The rule governed behavior model

Answer: c 1. Explanation: Operant conditioning refers to behaviors shaped by consequences. The keyword to look for is "consequence".

23. You have worked with several children with self-injurious behavior and find a combination reinforcement and punishment procedure that works well with all the children on your caseload. Sharing your procedures and data is _________. 23.a. conceptually systematic 23.b. empirical 23.c. technological 23.d. generality

Answer: c 23. Explanation: Technological does refer to detailing procedures and such. It also refers to sharing the information with the scientific community.

4. The process of _________ is when a stimulus is withheld which results in a temporary increase in responding and an eventual reduction in response rate. 4.a. reinforcement 4.b. punishment 4.c. extinction 4.d. generalization

Answer: c 4. Explanation: The keyword is "withheld". Extinction is a procedure. It involves withholding a previous reinforcer.

A stimulus that follows a behavior in time is a ________. 5.a. reinforcer 5.b. punisher 5.c. consequence 5.d. discriminative stimulus

Answer: c 5. Explanation: Consequences proceed behaviors.

Allowing Jefferson to eat Gummy-Worms throughout the class may make any food item ineffective as reinforcers. What has occurred? 10.a. fading 10.b. thinning 10.c. shaping 10.d. satiation

Answer: d 10. Explanation: Satiation is often thought of as "having had enough."

The extent to which a behavior changes as a result of the presentation and removal of an antecedent stimulus, established through operant conditioning is ________. 6.a. reinforcement 6.b. contingency 6.c. rule-governed behavior 6.d stimulus control

Answer: d 6. Explanation: This is the exact definition of stimulus control.