BCBA exam questions

The 'Effective' dimension of Applied Behavior Analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968), states that: A)Procedures developed by behavior analysts must aim to cause a meaningful effect in the client's life.B)All interventions are developed from the basic principles of behavior.C)The behavior changes that are achieved with the intervention should be long-lasting and should generalize to other settings.D)Interventions should demonstrate experimental control over the behavior.

A. "Procedures developed by behavior analysts must aim to cause a meaningful effect in the client's life." This is the definition of the 'effective' dimension of ABA. "Interventions should demonstrate experimental control over the behavior," is the 'analytic' dimension of ABA. "The behavior changes that are achieved with the intervention should be long-lasting and should generalize to other settings," is the 'generality' dimension of ABA. "All interventions are developed from the basic principles of behavior," is the 'conceptual systems' dimension of ABA.

A changing criterion experimental design would be MOST beneficial for: A)helping a client reduce his echolalia.B)teaching a client how to tie his shoes.C)teaching a client how to initiate conversations.D)helping a client reduce his behavior of intentionally setting fires.

A. A changing criterion design is particularly beneficial for decreasing (or increasing) the rate of a behavior over time. However, the target behavior must already be in the learner's repertoire; you would not use a changing criterion design to teach new behaviors. (How are you supposed to increase a behavior that doesn't exist? And how are you supposed to reduce a behavior that doesn't exist?) This design could be used to help a client decrease his frequency of echolalia. A changing criterion design should not be used with extremely dangerous behaviors, such as setting fires. A changing criterion design would allow for the behavior to occur at lower rates over time until the behavior diminishes. Since 0 instances of fire-setting behavior is tolerable, a changing criterion design would not be beneficial. A changing criterion design does not establish/teach new behaviors. It is more beneficial for increasing or decreasing the rates of behavior over time.

When conducting a functional analysis, a behavior analyst should use a(n): A)continuous schedule of reinforcement.B)intermittent schedule of reinforcement.C)reinforcement schedule that matches the natural environment. D)variable ratio schedule of reinforcement.

A. A continuous schedule of reinforcement is also known as an FR1 schedule. It simply means that every instance of the response is reinforced. Since a functional analysis is intended to evoke the target behavior in order to determine which consequence(s) maintain the target behavior, the consequence is typically delivered after every instance of the target behavior. Using intermittent reinforcement (or reinforcement that matches the natural environment) may result in fewer occurrences of the target behavior during the functional analysis. Therefore, behavior analysts typically use continuous schedules of reinforcement during functional analyses.

What is the MOST accurate way to determine what may function as a reinforcing stimulus for your client? A)A reinforcer assessmentB)A questionnaire with reinforcer optionsC)An open interview with your client where your client can tell you what he/she wants to work forD)A stimulus preference assessment

A. A reinforcer assessment measures what effects particular stimuli have on behavior. If these assessments show that rate of responding increases when a particular stimulus is delivered, it accurately shows that this stimulus would serve as a reinforcer at that time. A stimulus preference assessment determines what MAY function as a reinforcer by seeing what the client prefers. Self-report via interviews and questionnaires are in general much less accurate compared to reinforcer assessments.

Which verbal operant is a baby likely to learn first? A)A mandB)A tactC)An echoicD)An intraverbal

A. Babies mand in the form of crying for things they need, such as food, a clean diaper, more blankets, attention, etc. Crying is later replaced with more specific mands, such as pointing, vocally manding, etc.

A behavior analyst holds up a candy bar and a stuffed animal and says, "Hey Spencer, which one do you want?"What type of procedure did the behavior analyst use in this scenario? A)A forced choice preference assessmentB)A paired stimuli reinforcer assessmentC)A multiple stimuli reinforcer assessmentD)A multiple stimuli preference assessment

A. Because the behavior analyst held up two items and "forced" Spencer to choose one, this is a forced choice preference assessment. A forced choice stimulus preference assessment is also known as a paired stimuli preference assessment. However, "a paired stimuli reinforcer assessment is incorrect. A reinforcer assessment involves conducting an experiment where a person's behavior is monitored to see if a stimulus DOES function as a reinforcer. A stimulus preference assessment helps determine what MAY function as a reinforcer. "A multiple stimuli preference assessment" is incorrect since this refers to 3 or more stimuli being available. A "paired stimuli reinforcer assessment" and a "multiple stimuli reinforcer assessment" do not exist. They are stimulus preference assessments, not reinforcer assessments.

A behavior analyst is writing a treatment program for a client to learn how to use a city bus route. This particular client, however, lives in a rural area with limited access to the city busses. Which dimension of applied behavior analysis did the analyst fail to consider? A)AppliedB)GeneralityC)Technological D)Conceptual Systems

A. Because this client lives in a rural area with limited access to the city bus route, teaching the client to ride the bus will have little impact on their life. The "Effective" dimension of ABA means that procedures developed by behavior analysts must aim to cause a meaningful effect in the client's life.

When a behavior analyst is reviewing a client's medical records, he should look for: A)biological or medical variables that may influence the client's behavior.B)whether or not the client has a diagnosis of Autism. C)how fast the client can run per mile if he were to elope. D)interventions that have been unsuccessful to reduce problem behavior in the past.

A. Behavior analysts review what physiological variables can effect the client's behavior. "Whether or not the client has a diagnosis of Autism." is incorrect because behavior analysts work with all populations. While this may be good information to have, it is not the main reason to review medical records. "Interventions that have been unsuccessful to reduce problem behavior in the past." is incorrect because this information would likely not be revealed in a client's medical record. "How fast the client can run per mile if he were to elope." is incorrect because, while amusing, this information is not likely found in a client's medical record.

This level of scientific study is achieved when the independent variable reliably produces a change in the dependent variable: A)ControlB)DescriptionC)PredictionD)Experimentation

A. Control is achieved when we are able to reliably demonstrate a functional relation, that is, the change in the dependent variable was caused by the independent variable. "Description" is gathering information about observed events. "Prediction" is achieved when two events consistently covary with one another. "Experimentation" is the basic strategy of most sciences.

Which experimental design is most frequently used when conducting a functional analysis? A)An alternating treatments designB)A multiple baseline across settings designC)A multiple baseline across behaviors designD)A reversal design

A. Functional analyses are most commonly conducted with an alternating treatments design. This allows for the behavior analyst to rapidly and randomly alternate between conditions to help determine which condition (function) evokes the target behavior.

A functional analysis reveals that the target behavior happens at relatively high rates in all conditions except the demand condition. What is the most likely function of this problem behavior? A)Automatic reinforcementB)EscapeC)Access to tangiblesD)(All of the above)

A. If a functional analysis reveals that the behavior occurs at relatively the same frequency in all conditions, the behavior is most likely automatically maintained. If a behavior is automatically maintained, a functional analysis may also show lower rates of behavior in the demand condition. This is because the target behavior may be incompatible with the behavior that was demanded.

All of the following are advantages of using single-subject research designs over group-research designs, except: A)There is a control group for comparison that does not receive the independent variable.B)The ability to see individual performance data.C)The ability to see variability and trends in an individual's performance.D)The ability to replicate results.

A. In a single-subject research design, every individual receives the independent variable, there is no control group (this is reserved for group-research designs).

Betsy is assigned a term-paper at the beginning of the semester. She sets aside time each week for an hour to work on the paper, since she knows that it will be a big project, and she wants to earn an 'A.' Betsy turns in her paper at the end of the semester, and when she checks her grades online the next day, she sees that she got a 4.0. What is this an example of? A)Rule-governed behavior.B)Contingency-shaped behavior.C)Variable ratio schedule of reinforcement.D)Positive reinforcement.

A. In this example, Betsy likely had a lot of rules going on (i.e., 'if I work hard now, I won't have to cram later in the semester,' 'if I get a good grade on this assignment, I'll get into that program,' 'my parents won't be disappointed in me,' etc.).

Jesse's teacher says that he keeps acting out in class. The teacher approaches the behavior analyst and explains that Jesse's behavior is likely the result of his diet, that he eats way too much sugar and processed foods, causing problem behaviors. As a behavior analyst, which attitude of science must be considered in this scenario? A)Parsimony.B)Philosophic doubt.C)Empiricism.D)Determinism

A. Parsimony means that the simplest, most logical explanations must be ruled out before more complex explanations are considered. In this example, the teacher should rule out other variables that could be responsible for the problem behavior before making the assumption that something more complex is responsible for controlling the behavior. "Philosophic doubt" is continually questioning the truthfulness of scientific knowledge. "Determinism" is the assumption that the universe is lawful and orderly. "Empiricism" is the objective observation of the phenomena of interest.

Louis learns how to use a microwave at his school. He now cooks his own lunch every day in the microwave at his school. However, he never uses the microwave at home when his parents ask him to do so. This is most likely due to: A)Inadequate stimulus generalizationB)Inadequate response generalizationC)Inadequate stimulus discriminationD)Inadequate response discrimination

A. Stimulus generalization involves bringing one response under control of more stimuli (he should use the microwave at school and use the microwave at his home). Since the stimuli at his home are not evoking the desired response, this hints that there is not adequate stimulus generalization. "Response generalization" is incorrect since this would mean that he was learning new behaviors that resulted in the same reinforcer (such as cooking food on the stove or in the oven). "Stimulus discrimination" is incorrect since this would involve evoking a response under fewer stimuli. "Response discrimination" is not necessarily a behavior-analytic term but it would involve fewer responses and we are looking for generalization in this scenario.

Which dimension of applied behavior analysis means that interventions should demonstrate experimental control over the behavior? A)AnalyticB)EffectiveC)Conceptually SystematicD)Technological

A. The analytic dimension of applied behavior analysis means that interventions should demonstrate experimental control over the behavior (in other words, the intervention is the cause of the behavior change).

Which dimension of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968) means that all interventions are developed from the basic principles of behavior? A)Conceptual SystemsB)BehavioralC)AnalyticD)Technological

A. The conceptual systems dimension of ABA means that all interventions are developed from the basic principles of behavior. This means that behavior analysts do not use interventions from other professional fields. We also only use behavior-analytic interventions that are proven through scientific research in the field of ABA.

Phil works at a factory. He assembles cardboard boxes for a living. He has to fold the box up correctly and then tape it together. Today, his boss said, "For every blue box you assemble, you will receive $2. For every red box you assemble, you will receive $1." It takes the same time and effort to assemble the red and blue boxes. Phil assembles 40 blue boxes today. According to the Matching Law, Phil likely also assembled _______________ red boxes today. A)0 B)40 C)20 D)80

A. The matching law refers to the distribution of responses when there is more than one schedule of reinforcement available at the same time. With concurrent variable interval or concurrent fixed interval schedules of reinforcement, the person is likely to distribute their responding proportionally between the two schedules of reinforcement.

Billy is a behavior analyst. He works with a client who engages is self-injurious behavior. The behavior is very dangerous. Which experimental design(s) would be most appropriate to use in this scenario? A)A "B-A-B" design and an alternating treatments designB)An "A-B-A" design and a "B-A-B-A" designC)A multiple-baseline across settings designD)A changing criterion design

A. These designs would be most beneficial in this scenario because an immediate intervention is necessary. These two experimental designs do not require baseline data to be collected. Multiple baseline designs and A-B-A designs require baselines. Changing criterion designs are also inappropriate because they are used to gradually change behavior over time.

Which of the following is considered a private event? A)Sore muscles after an intense workoutB)Practicing your solo for a choir concertC)Texting your friend about lunch plansD)Taking your dog outside in the backyard

A. This is an example of a private event. The other examples, "practicing your solo for a choir concert," "texting your friend about lunch plans," and "taking your dog outside in the backyard," are not considered private events.

Tim gets home from school and is hungry. He opens up the cupboard and grabs a snack and starts eating it. This is an example of a(n): A)Automatic reinforcement contingency.B)Socially-mediated reinforcement contingency.C)Automatic punishment contingency. D)Socially-mediated punishment contingency.

A. This is an example of an automatic contingency because Tim was able to get a snack on his own, and he didn't need any other person to deliver the reinforcement. He was able to open the cupboard and get a snack. Therefore, this is automatic reinforcement. If he had to ask his parent to get him a snack, then it would be considered a socially-mediated contingency.

Behaviors that were established using a behavioral intervention are considered ____________ once they allow the learner to appropriately respond to new situations. A)generativeB)maintainedC)functionalD)topographical

A. When a behavior that is taught allows the learner to appropriately respond to untaught situations, the behavior is considered generative. "Topographical" is incorrect. The topography of a behavior simply refers to what the behavior looks like, which doesn't apply to this situation. "Functional" is less correct. A behavior that is taught in a training environment may be intended to only serve one function. Therefore, the taught behavior would still be functional even if it did not occur under new stimuli. "Maintained" is less correct. Maintenance refers to the behavior continuing to occur after training has discontinued. However, it does not necessarily mean that the learner will use behavior to untaught stimuli.

A behavior analyst wants to determine what will serve as an effective punisher for his client. He has 5 possible stimuli that may serve as punishers. Contingent upon a target response, the behavior analyst delivers a punisher and measures the amount of time it took to suppress that response. He tries this with all 5 possible punishers and determines that one particular punisher is more effective at suppressing the response than the other punishers. What kind of procedure did the behavior analyst conduct in this scenario? A)A stimulus avoidance punisher assessmentB)A brief punisher assessmentC)An activity punisher assessmentD)A choice punisher assessment

B. A brief punisher assessment determines which available punisher is most effective. The available punishers are presented in a multi-element design on a target behavior, and the suppression of the behavior is measured. The punisher that is most effective in suppressing the behavior is the most potent punisher. "A choice punisher assessment" is incorrect since this would simply involve asking the client (or those who know him well) what would likely be the most effective punisher. "An activity punisher assessment" is incorrect since this would involve having several activities freely available and the one that is avoided may possibly serve as a punisher. "A stimulus avoidance punisher assessment" is also incorrect since this would involve non-contingently presenting possible punishers to the client and taking note of which ones he avoids.

Lexi says, "It never fails. Whenever there is a full moon, people start acting weird." However, Lexi has no data to support her theory. Which scientific analysis is Lexi using? A)A Descriptive AnalysisB)A Hypothetical AnalysisC)An Experimental AnalysisD)A Correlational Analysis

B. A hypothetical analysis is simply assuming that two things go together, without taking any data or manipulating any variables. Lexi did not take data on the full moon or "weird behavior" and did not manipulate these variables. "Experimental analysis" is incorrect since this would require manipulating the environment and recording the behavior. "Correlation(al) analysis" and "descriptive analysis" are incorrect since they would involve recording the behavior as well.

Your friend asks you if you want to hang out. You ask her if she wants to go to the beach or go to the movies. Which type of preference assessment did you conduct? A)A paired-stimuli reinforcer assessmentB)A paired-stimuli preference assessmentC)A forced-choice reinforcer assessmentD)A forced-choice reinforcer assessment without replacement

B. A paired-stimuli preference assessment involves presenting two stimuli and "forcing" the person to choose an item. A paired-stimuli preference assessment is also referred to as a "forced-choice" stimulus preference assessment. This example is NOT a reinforcer assessment; it simply involved you asking your friend what she preferred and did not involve conducting an experiment to determine whether the stimulus would function as a reinforcer.

A father asks his daughter if she wants spaghetti or pizza for dinner, while holding each item up to show her. His daughter chooses pizza. Which type of preference assessment did the father conduct? A)A paired-stimuli reinforcer assessmentB)A paired-stimuli preference assessmentC)A forced-choice reinforcer assessmentD)A forced-choice reinforcer assessment without replacement

B. A paired-stimuli preference assessment involves presenting two stimuli and "forcing" the person to choose the higher preferred item. A paired-stimuli preference assessment is also referred to as a "forced-choice" stimulus preference assessment. This example is NOT a reinforcer assessment; it simply involved asking the person what they preferred and did not involve conducting an experiment to determine whether the stimulus would function as a reinforcer.

Which type of analysis is used to determine the value of the independent variable needed to change behavior? A)A component analysisB)A parametric analysisC)A comparative analysisD)Behavior analysis

B. A parametric analysis is used to determine what amount of the independent variable is necessary to cause the most effective behavior change. For example, you could run a parametric analysis to see if a 1-minute timeout, 5-minute timeout, or 10-minute timeout is most effective for decreasing a child's behavior of fighting with his sibling. "A component analysis" is incorrect, since this involves analyzing which components of a treatment package are responsible for the behavior change. "A comparative analysis" and "behavior analysis" are not used to determine what amount of an independent variable is necessary to change the behavior.

A behavior analyst is working with a child who is in school. However, the principal does not want the behavior analyst to observe the child during class because she believes this will distract all of the students. Also, the teacher does not have time to collect data herself. Which functional behavior assessment tool could the behavior analyst use in this situation? A)ABC continuous recordingB)A questionnaire or rating scaleC)ABC narrative recordingD)A brief functional analysis

B. A questionnaire or rating scale could be given to the teacher before or after school and does not involve directly observing the child. ABC recording procedures involve directly recording the behavior. Since the behavior analyst is not allowed to observe during school and the teacher does not have time to fill out the datasheets, these procedures would not work. Finally, a brief functional analysis would still involve directly working with the child in the classroom, so this option is also incorrect.

You are working at an ABA company and a perspective parent contacts you to see if you'll intervene on their teenage child's cursing behavior. You conduct an assessment and find out that the cursing behavior rarely occurs, and typically only occurs when he is alone playing video games. You determine that his cursing is at the same rate, or even lower, than a typical teenager. What should you do in this scenario? A)Instruct the parent to start a differential reinforcement of other behavior procedure. B)You determine that behavior analytic services are not necessary at this time.C)Tell the parent to start taking baseline data so that you can begin working on a successful intervention strategy.D)Refer the parent to a psychologist that specializes in oppositional defiant disorder.

B. After talking with the parent and gathering more information about the behavior of concern, you determine that behavior analytic services are not needed at this time. The behavior of concern does not happen frequently enough or at a higher rate than an average teenager, and it does not require intervention. "Instruct the parent to start a differential reinforcement of other behavior procedure," "Tell the parent to start taking baseline data so that you can begin working on a successful intervention strategy," and, "Refer the parent to a psychologist that specializes in oppositional defiant disorder," are all incorrect, since at this time, behavior analytic services are unwarranted.

A baseline phase: A)occurs before the experimenter starts data collection.B)is not necessary for alternating treatment designs.C)is not necessary for reversal designs.D)(All of the above)

B. Alternating treatments designs typically include a baseline. However, they aren't mandatory. The experimenter DOES collect data during the baseline phase. Reversal designs do require baseline phases (the reversal of the treatment means the experiment returns to a baseline phase).

A behavior analyst is working with a client who swallows large items such as rocks, pencils, and cotton balls. Which experimental design(s) would be recommended for this target behavior? A)A reversal designB)An alternating treatments designC)(Both A and B)D)(Neither A nor B)

B. Because this behavior is so dangerous, collecting baseline data is not recommended. A behavior analyst would not want to sit around watching how many rocks his client swallows to gain a baseline. With an alternating treatments experimental design, a baseline is not always necessary. With a reversal design, a baseline is necessary.

For which condition of a functional analysis would the experimenter withhold attention after the target response occurs? A)The attention conditionB)The demand conditionC)The tangibles conditionD)(All of the above)

B. Contingent upon the target behavior occurring during the demand condition of a functional analysis, the experimenter removes the materials used for that demand and also removes attention. This condition helps determine if the client is engaging in the target response to "get out of" what is being asked of him. Attention should be minimized during the demand phase to help isolate escape as a function (as opposed to access to attention). "The attention condition" is incorrect since this involves providing attention when the behavior occurs, not withholding it. "The tangibles condition" is also incorrect since this involves providing a tangible item to the client when he/she engages in the targeted response, which in turn provides attention.

With regards to behavior analysis, ___________ is the philosophical assumption that all behavior is lawful and orderly. A)SelectionismB)DeterminismC)ParsimonyD)Empiricism

B. Determinism is the philosophical assumption that all behavior is lawful and orderly. Selectionism is the assumption that all behavior is a result of interactions with the environment. Parsimony is using the simplest and most logical explanations to explain why a behavior is occurring. Empiricism is the practice of objective observation of the behavior of interest.

This philosophical assumption of science states that scientific knowledge is built on the practice of objective observation of the phenomena of interest: A)Parsimony.B)Empiricism.C)Selectionism.D)Determinism.

B. Empiricism means that we observe behaviors objectively and do not make any assumptions about why the behavior is occurring. "Determinism" is incorrect because it is the general assumption that the entire universe is orderly and that all phenomena occur as the result of some other event. "Parsimony" is using the simplest and most logical explanations to explain why a behavior is occurring. "Selectionism" is incorrect because it is the philosophical assumption that all behavior, in all living organisms, is the result of an interaction with the environment.

It would be appropriate to conduct a functional analysis for which of the following behavior(s)? A)Head banging that results in bumps and bruisesB)TantrumsC)Stealing from stores D)(All of the above)

B. It would be beneficial to use a functional analysis to determine the function of a tantrum. However, there are several reasons a behavior analyst would not want to conduct a functional analysis. The first reason is if the behavior is severely dangerous. A functional analysis intends to purposefully evoke the target behavior. Behavior that cannot be tolerated at all (such as head banging that is causing great bodily harm) should not be assessed with a functional assessment. If a behavior is illegal and could result in the client being arrested, a behavior analyst would likely not want to purposefully evoke this behavior by using a functional analysis.

__________ is a subfield of behavior analysis that focuses on analyzing the principles of behavior, while __________ is a subfield of behavior analysis that focuses on socially significant problem solving using the principles of behavior. A)Applied Behavior Analysis; Experimental Analysis of BehaviorB)Experimental Analysis of Behavior; Applied Behavior AnalysisC)Methodological Behaviorism; Applied Behavior AnalysisD)Experimental Analysis of Behavior; Radical Behaviorism

B. Methodological behaviorism is an approach that restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe, and radical behaviorism is an approach that address all psychology in terms of the principles of behavior.

A methodological behaviorist would not consider which of the following events a behavior? A)Mary slaps Kelly on the face.B)Kelly avoids Mary because she is scared.C)Mary follows Kelly around at recess.D)Kelly tells the teacher about Mary's behavior.

B. Methodological behaviorists do not consider private events as behaviors. The other examples, "Mary follows Kelly around at recess," "Kelly tells the teacher about Mary's behavior," and, "Mary slaps Kelly on the face," are examples of public events that methodological behaviorists would consider a behavior.

Of the following statements, which is NOT true regarding alternating treatments experimental designs? A)The behavior analyst should make each condition highly discriminable from the other conditions.B)A stable baseline is necessary before starting the intervention.C)Experimental control is established when one condition is consistently higher than another condition.D)The conditions of the experiment are altered rapidly.

B. One of the benefits of an alternating treatments design is that the baseline does not necessarily have to be stable prior to starting the intervention. In fact, you don't necessarily need a baseline. This is beneficial when working on behaviors that are severely dangerous, since collecting baseline data on such behaviors exposes the client to further risk of injury or death. In an alternating treatments design, the experimental conditions are rapidly changing. Changes from one condition to the next can occur every session, or even in the middle of a session. Conditions should be highly discriminable from one another so that the client can more easily differentiate between conditions. When the data from 2 or more conditions are consistently different from one another (i.e. always higher or lower), experimental control has been established.

Doug got stung by a bee when he was 6 years old on the playground, and it caused him a lot of pain. Now, even 10 years later, Doug is still scared of bees. His heart starts racing even when he is near a bee. This is an example of: A)Operant conditioningB)Respondent conditioningC)Operant extinctionD)Respondent extinction

B. Respondent conditioning is the process where a neutral stimulus acquires the eliciting properties of an unconditioned stimulus through pairing of the neutral and unconditioned stimulus. The previously neutral stimulus (bee) now elicits the conditioned response (heart racing).

Gilligan enjoyed fishing ever since his father taught him how to fish. He loved trying out new fishing poles and he would often spend nearly half of his paycheck on fishing supplies. He used to catch fish nearly every day.One day, Gilligan was on a cruise boat. The boat sank and he was forced to swim to a nearby deserted island. He did not have a fishing pole with him. Therefore, he created a fishing net out of tree roots to catch fish. This allowed for him to eat until he was finally rescued.Gilligan fishing with a net is an example of: A)stimulus generalization.B)response generalization.C)response maintenance.D)(None of the above)

B. Response generalization occurs when someone engages in a new response that is functionally equivalent to a trained response. Gilligan engaged in a new response (fishing with a net), rather than the trained response (fishing with a fishing pole), to gain the same reinforcer (fish). Stimulus generalization is incorrect since this means that the same response was evoked by a new stimulus. Response maintenance is incorrect since this means that a trained response continued to occur after training concluded. This example did not say that Gilligan was ever taught to fish with a net.

You are a behavior analyst who has recently been assigned to work with Harry. Historically, candy has been an effective reinforcer for Harry. Over the past week, whenever Harry takes a bite of any kind of candy he cries and spits it out. What should you do in this situation? A)Conduct a preference assessment to see which candy Harry prefers. B)Review Harry's dentistry records to see when he had his last checkup and make a referral to his dentist if necessary.C)Tell Harry's parents to stop giving him candy. D)Continue to give Harry the candy using an escape-extinction procedure.

B. Since Harry typically enjoys eating candy, this may be indicative of a medical issue, such as a cavity. Therefore, reviewing his dentistry records and making a referral to his dentist is likely the best course of action for this scenario. The behavior analyst should not force Harry to eat candy if he does not want to eat it. "Conduct a preference assessment to see which candy Harry prefers." is incorrect since there may be an underlying medical condition that is causing him pain when he eats sugary foods. "Tell Harry's parents to stop giving him candy." is incorrect because, as a behavior analyst, we don't want to give advice outside our scope of practice. "Continue to give Harry the candy using an escape-extinction procedure." is incorrect because this could be considered unethical by forcing the client to continue to eat, and could worsen the potential medical condition.

How can we tell that a functional relation exists? A)When the dependent variable reliably produces a change in the independent variable.B)When the independent variable reliably produces a change in the dependent variable.C)When the behavior drops to levels above or below the expected baseline value.D)When the independent variable correlates with the dependent variable.

B. The dependent variable is the measure of the behavior, and the independent variable is the variable that is added that changes the dependent variable. A functional relation exists when a well-controlled experiment demonstrates that a change in the dependent variable is reliably produced by specific manipulations of the independent variable).

Andrew, a behavior analyst, recently began working with a client named Bryce. Bryce had a behavior analyst in the past, but she moved out of state about a year ago. Andrew reviews all the documents that were left behind by the previous behavior analyst and notices that a token economy procedure was very effective at decreasing Bryce's elopement behavior in the past. In the past several months, Bryce has been eloping frequently. A)Andrew should use a token economy procedure to decrease Bryce's elopement.B)Andrew should conduct a functional behavior assessment on Bryce's elopement.C)Andrew should not use a token economy because elopement should not be rewarded. D)(None of the above)

B. The function of a behavior can change over time. Therefore, Andrew should confirm the function of the behavior prior to implementing an intervention. Also, just because an intervention was effective in the past does not mean that it will be effective now. Saying Andrew "should use a token economy" is not confirmed at this time. "Andrew should not use a token economy because elopement should not be rewarded" is incorrect with the information given. The example says that a token economy WAS effective in the past.

You are conducting an experiment with your client to reduce vocal stereotypy by using a treatment package that consists of a response-interruption and redirection procedure (RIRD) and differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) procedure. Baseline rates of vocal stereotypy are taken, and then the treatment package is implemented. In this experiment, the treatment package used was the __________ variable and the rate of vocal stereotypy is the __________ variable. A)dependent; independentB)independent; dependentC)dependent; co-independentD)co-dependent; independent

B. The independent variable is the variable the experimenter systematically manipulates (in this case, the treatment package), and the dependent variable is the measure of the subject's behavior (in this case, the vocal stereotypy).

A multiple probe design may be preferred over a traditional multiple baseline design because: A)it can be used across multiple behaviors, subjects, and settings.B)baseline data does not have to be continuously collected.C)a stable baseline is not necessary.D)(All of the above)

B. The major advantage of a multiple probe design is that the experimenter does not have to continuously collect baseline data. They simply collect probe data 1-3 times per step of the task that is being taught. A stable baseline is necessary. Multiple baseline designs can also be used across behaviors, settings, and subjects, and therefore this is not considered an advantage of multiple probe designs.

A behavior analyst observes her client while he is at work. Her client's guardian reports that he sometimes refuses to work if he does not get his way. The behavior analyst observes him from a distance and he does not know that she is watching him work (although the client's guardian does know that the behavior analyst is observing him.)What type of assessment is the behavior analyst likely conducting? A)An indirect assessmentB)A direct assessmentC)A functional assessment interviewD)A functional analysis

B. There are 3 components of a functional behavior assessment. They are 1) indirect assessments, which include interviews, checklists and surveys 2) direct assessments, which include physically observing the behavior without manipulating the environment and 3) functional analyses, which involves systematically manipulating the environment to see what effects it has on the behavior. In this example, the behavior analyst conducted a direct assessment since she observed the behavior without manipulating any environmental conditions to evoke the behavior.

Which explanation of behavior would a behavior analyst most likely use to describe why a student is physically aggressive towards his teacher? A)"He hits his teacher because he likes getting out of math assignments."B)"He hits his teacher because in the past it has resulted in him not having to complete his math assignment."C)"He hits his teacher because he is diagnosed with dyslexia which makes math more difficult for him compared to his typically-developing peers."D)"He hits his teacher because he knows he will get out of having to do his math assignment."

B. This is the least mentalistic of all the answer choices. "He knows" and "He likes" are mentalistic terms. Blaming it on an inner-identity or diagnosis involves circular reasoning and is mentalistic.

A factory manager is measuring how quickly his employees can assemble a box of crayons. Julie assembles a box of crayons in 1 minute. Ronald takes 45 seconds to assemble a box of crayons. It takes Bonny 100 seconds to assemble a box of crayons. Joy can assemble a box of crayons in half the time that it takes Bonny. Who assembles boxes of crayons the fastest? A)JulieB)RonaldC)BonnyD)Joy

B. This one is pretty straightforward. Simply calculate the amount of time it takes each person to assemble a box of crayons, while putting every duration into seconds so you can easily see how long it takes each person. Julie=60 seconds. Ronald=45 seconds. Bonny=100 seconds. Joy=50 seconds.

You have just begun working with a new client, named Riley, who displays multiple behaviors of concern. Of the following behaviors, which would you want to address first? A)Teasing his sister in the car, which has become very annoying to Riley's mother.B)Cutting his wrists with a paperclip, which has resulted in serious injury in the past, but now only occurs once per month.C)Slapping himself in the face, in a way that is relatively harmless but happens several times per week.D)Vocal stereotypy that results in "weird looks" from his peers.

B. When prioritizing problem behaviors and determining the order they will need to be addressed, the first and most important thing to consider is the dangerousness that the problem behavior is currently presenting. Since wrist cutting has resulted in serious injury in the past and it is still occurring once per month, Riley is in imminent danger of causing serious injury to himself. Even though slapping himself happens more frequently than wrist cutting, this is not causing significant injury at this time. Teasing his sister ranks near the bottom of these target behaviors as it is not dangerous. Finally, vocal stereotypy that results in "weird looks" from peers is not a danger to the client. Therefore, even though all of these behaviors should be analyzed and treated, the highest behavior priority at this time would be wrist cutting.

A behavior analyst wants to use an intervention to address several of her client's behaviors. Which experimental design(s) would be appropriate for the behavior analyst to use? A)An alternating treatments designB)A changing criterion designC)A multiple baseline designD)(All of the above)

C. A multiple baseline across behaviors design would be appropriate to address several behaviors for a single client. Alternating treatments designs are used to assess multiple interventions on a single target behavior. A changing criterion design is used for a single target behavior.

A behavior analyst wants to determine the amount of money that would be most effective to use as a reward for a DRO procedure that is designed to decrease a client's physically aggressive behavior. To find out how much money to use as a reward for the DRO procedure, the behavior analyst should conduct a(n): A)experiment using a multiple baseline design.B)component analysis.C)parametric analysis.D)reinforcer preference assessment.

C. A parametric analysis analyzes the effectiveness of varying values of a particular intervention (varying levels of the independent variable). Therefore, analyzing how money to use as a reward for a DRO procedure is considered a parametric analysis. "Component Analysis" is incorrect since this involves seeing which components of an intervention package are crucial for the behavior change. "A reinforcer preference assessment" is incorrect since the reward of a DRO procedure is not a reinforcer by definition, since it is not delivered contingent on a target behavior. "Experiment using a multiple baseline design" is incorrect since multiple baseline designs involve one intervention being applied to multiple people, multiple behaviors, or multiple settings.

If the functional analysis data reveals that the behavior occurs at high rates in all conditions, or does not occur at all in any of the conditions, then: A)the function of the behavior is automatic reinforcement.B)an intervention is not necessary.C)the functional analysis was inconclusive.D)the function of the behavior is attention.

C. If a behavior occurs at high rates in all of the conditions, the function is either automatic reinforcement OR the function could not be determined. Since this question stated that it occurs at high rates in all conditions or not at all in all conditions, "automatic reinforcement" is incorrect. If the behavior never occurred at all during the functional analysis, we could not determine that it is automatically reinforced. If the function of the behavior was attention, it would likely occur most frequently in the contingent attention condition. An intervention may still be necessary, especially if the target behavior is occurring at high rates in all conditions.

Every time Hank goes to pull at the blinds in the kitchen his mother shouts, "no!" In the future, Hanks behavior of pulling at the blinds decreases. What procedure did Hank's mother use to decrease the behavior of pulling the blinds? A)Negative punishment.B)Negative reinforcement.C)Positive punishment.D)Positive reinforcement.

C. In positive punishment, an aversive stimulus is presented, contingent on a behavior, that results in a decreased frequency of that behavior in the future. In this example, Hank's mother said 'no!' (presenting an aversive stimulus) contingent on the target behavior.

Helga works with a client whose handwriting is illegible. Helga conducts an experiment to determine whether a new mobile app can help increase her client's handwriting skills. Her study shows a clear functional relation between the independent variable (the mobile app) and the dependent variable (her client's handwriting skills). A)DescriptionB)PredictionC)ControlD)(None of the above)

C. In this scenario, Helga is able to demonstrate that there is a clear functional relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. Therefore, Helga is able to control the environment (use the mobile app vs. not use the mobile app) and this directly correlates to her client's handwriting skills. Helga's experiment shows that not only is the increase in handwriting skills correlated with the mobile app; it also shows that the mobile app is the cause of the increases in handwriting skills

An experiment that demonstrates high __________ shows convincingly that the changes in the behavior are a result of the implementation of the independent variable (and not some other confounding variable). A)external validityB)correlationC)internal validityD)prediction

C. Internal validity refers to the degree to which an experiment has demonstrated a functional relation between the independent and dependent variable (meaning, we can say convincingly that the change in the behavior was due to the independent variable, rather than due to some other cause).

Josie is addicted to smoking cigarettes. Her boyfriend hates that she smokes. He chastises her whenever he sees her smoking. Therefore, she stopped smoking cigarettes at home and now smokes more cigarettes at work. This is an example of: A)Stimulus ControlB)Behavioral ContrastC)(Both A and B)D)(Neither A nor B)

C. Josie does not smoke at home; she only smokes at work. This demonstrates stimulus control (the presence of work is an Sd and the presence of her boyfriend is an Sdp or S-delta). She now only smokes at work, therefore stimulus control is present. This could also be an example of behavioral contrast. Her behavior of smoking is on an FR1 schedule of reinforcement at work because every time she smokes she is reinforced. Since she is chastised for smoking at home, it occurs less frequently there. Since the behavior of smoking decreases in rate at home, it therefore increases at work. This is an example of behavioral contrast and it also demonstrates a degree of stimulus control.

Which of the following is considered a behavior, according to methodological behaviorists? A)Pain from a headacheB)Sore muscles after a workoutC)Lifting weightsD)Thinking about which activity you will perform during a workout

C. Methodological behaviorists do not consider thoughts and feelings to be behavior, therefore, "lifting weights" is the correct answer because it is the only observable behavior (the other options are private events).

In an alternating treatments experimental design, what could a behavior analyst do to minimize the risk of multiple treatment interference? A)Return to baseline for several days before switching to another experimental design.B)Return to baseline for several weeks before switching to another experimental design.C)Make all experimental conditions highly discriminable from one another.D)Make all experimental conditions indiscriminable from one another.

C. Multiple treatment interference may occur when experimental conditions are so similar that the learner cannot differentiate between experimental conditions. To minimize the risk of this, an experimenter should make each experimental condition very different from the others to help the learner discriminate between experimental conditions. An alternating treatments design requires that experimental conditions be rapidly changed from one condition to another. Therefore, baselines of several days or weeks would not be recommended.

This level of scientific study is achieved when observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other: A)DescriptionB)CorrelationC)PredictionD)Control

C. Prediction occurs when repeated observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other. In other words, prediction helps us establish relations between events. "Description" and "Control" are two other levels of scientific study, but do not apply. "Correlation" is a systematic covariation between two events.

Whenever Osiris is hungry, he hands a laminated picture of food to his mother and she gets him food. What would be an example of response generalization? A)Osiris hands the laminated picture to his dad when he is hungry.B)Osiris hands the laminated picture to his babysitter when he is hungry.C)Osiris gets food for himself when he is hungry.D)(All of the above)

C. Response generalization occurs when a learner engages in an untaught response to access a reinforcer that the taught response also gains. In this example, Osiris hands a laminated picture of food to his mother when he is hungry and this results in a reinforcer (food). Response generalization would be any new response that results in him gaining food. Handing the laminated picture of food to another person is not response generalization, it is stimulus generalization. Getting food for himself is considered response generalization since it is a novel response that resulted in gaining access to food.

When using a changing criterion experimental design, what can you do to strengthen the demonstration of experimental control? A)Use the intervention with several behaviors that are significantly different than one another.B)Use the intervention with several behaviors that are similar to one another.C)Reverse the direction of the criterion changes.D)Wait for responding to stabilize with one target behavior prior to applying the intervention to the next target behavior.

C. Reversing the direction of the criterion change will further demonstrate experimental control, if the behavior changes direction to match that of the criterion change. Changing criterion designs involve one behavior and one intervention (but the criteria of the intervention changes). Therefore, all of the other answer choices are incorrect.

When using an intervention to teach a child how to ride a bike, why shouldn't a behavior analyst use a reversal experimental design? A)ABA should not be used to teach bike riding.B)Teaching a client how to ride a bike and then reversing the intervention could result in negative side effects, such as his peers making fun of him.C)Reversing an intervention that is used to teach bike riding would not result in a deterioration of the skill during the baseline phases and therefore would not demonstrate experimental control.D)Teaching a child how to ride a bike in reverse could result in injury since the child cannot see where he/she is going.

C. Since riding a bike is a skill that you cannot necessarily "unlearn," the client's bike riding would not diminish in the baseline phases. It would therefore not demonstrate experimental control. Since a reversal design in this case would not result in a reduction in bike riding skills, this experimental design would likely not result in peers picking on him for not being able to ride a bike. "Teaching a child how to ride a bike in reverse could result in injury since the child cannot see where he/she is going" is incorrect since a reversal experimental design does not mean that you teach the skill in reverse. Finally, ABA could potentially be used to teach someone how to ride a bike.

A manager of a doll factory sits in his office most of the day. However, a few times per day he will randomly walk out onto the factory floor and provide praise to each worker who assembles a doll. What schedule of reinforcement is the manager using? A)Variable ratioB)Fixed ratioC)Variable intervalD)Fixed interval

C. Since the manager goes out onto the floor of the factory randomly throughout the day, and reinforces the first correct response at that time, it is a variable interval schedule or reinforcement. It is not a fixed ratio schedule because although the first response was reinforced and it appears to be an FR1 schedule, it actually is not since previous responses in the absence of the manager were not reinforced. "Fixed interval" is incorrect since the manager goes out on the factory floor at random times. "Variable Ratio" is incorrect since the reinforcement is on a ratio schedule.

A behavior analyst is conducting a functional analysis. When the target behavior occurs, she ignores the behavior. Which condition of a functional analysis could the behavior analyst be conducting? A)The play conditionB)The alone conditionC)(Both A and B)D)(Neither A nor B)

C. The alone condition results in ignoring or neutrally redirecting the behavior when it occurs. The play condition also results in ignoring or neutrally redirecting the behavior when it occurs.

This dimension of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968) means that the behavior changes that are achieved with the intervention should be long-lasting and should generalize to other settings: A)Generalization.B)Discrimination.C)Generality.D)Applied.

C. The generality dimension of applied behavior analysis means that the behavior changes that are achieved with the intervention should be long-lasting and should generalize to other settings. "Generalization" sounds like generality, but the terms are different. "Discrimination" and "Applied" are also incorrect.

All of the following are levels of scientific study, except: A)DescriptionB)PredictionC)Radical BehaviorismD)Control

C. The three levels of scientific study are: description, prediction, and control. Radical behaviorism is an approach to psychology that address all psychology in terms of the principles of behavior (including thoughts and feelings).

Which experimental design(s) are variants of a multiple-baseline design? A)A multiple probe designB)A delayed multiple baseline designC)(Both A and B)D)(Neither A nor B)

C. These are both variations of the multiple baseline design.

Colby is taught to say "bike" when she sees a picture of a bike. Then, without training, she points to the picture of the bike when she hears her therapist say "bike".Colby pointing to the bike, upon hearing the spoken word "bike", is an example of ___________. A)reflexivityB)transitivityC)a derived stimulus relationD)matching law

C. This is an example of a derived stimulus relation because Colby learned the relationship between two stimuli without being directly taught that the relationship exists. Colby was taught that seeing a picture of a bike and saying "bike" are related. Then, without further training, she inferred that hearing the word "bike" and a picture of a bike are related. Therefore, this is a derived stimulus relation. More specifically, it is an example of symmetry. "Reflexivity" is incorrect since this would involve the same stimulus-stimulus pairing to occur (ex: A=B). "Transitivity" is incorrect since this would involve an untrained relation deriving from two other stimulus-stimulus relations (ex: A=B. And B=C. Therefore A=C). "Matching law" is incorrect since this involves responding in a way that matches the level of reinforcement that is available in two separate schedules of reinforcement, which does not apply to this scenario.

Which explanation of behavior would be most acceptable to behavior analysts? A)"Logan tells jokes because he is the class clown."B)"Logan tells jokes because he likes peer attention."C)"Logan tells jokes because he knows his classmates will laugh."D)"Logan tells jokes because he receives attention from his peers."

D. "Logan knows..." and "Logan likes..." are incorrect since they use a mentalistic explanation. "Because he is the class clown" is incorrect because it does not explain the function of the behavior and "class clown" is subjective.

Pablo notices that he gets the best responding out of his client Jack right before lunch time, when he is hungry. Jack almost always chooses an edible reinforcer from his choice board and Jack is able to complete all of his trials quickly to earn the reinforcer. What is the example of hunger in this scenario? A)Discriminative StimulusB)S-DeltaC)Antecedent PromptD)Motivating Operation

D. A motivating operation is any stimulus or condition that affects learning and performance with respect to a particular reinforcer. In this example, Jack's hunger was a motivating operation that temporarily causes an increase in his performance so that he can more quickly earn access to the reinforcer.

For children, bubbles are a: A)reinforcer.B)preferred item.C)punisher.D)stimulus.

D. A stimulus can be any event, condition, or item that an organism can contact through any of its 5 senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). If it is something that you can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch/feel then it is a stimulus. We don't know if bubbles function as a reinforcer, preferred item, or punisher for a child without further testing, but we do know that bubbles are a stimulus.

Which of the following is an example of a stimulus class? A)shapes of tables (e.g., square, round, rectangular, etc.)B)types of flowers (e.g., daisies, roses, etc.)C)breeds of dogs (e.g., lab, poodle, etc.)D)all of the above

D. A stimulus class is a set of stimuli that share a common physical property (i.e., size, color, weight, etc.).

When using a changing criterion experimental design, you can do all of the following to strengthen demonstration of experimental control, EXCEPT: A)vary the length of phases.B)vary the magnitude of the criterion changes.C)reverse the direction of the criterion changes.D)wait for responding to stabilize with one target behavior prior to applying the intervention to the next target behavior.

D. Changing criterion designs involve one behavior and one intervention (but the criteria of the intervention changes). Therefore, intervening on another behavior would not be done in a changing criterion design, so this answer choice is incorrect. The other options can all be used to increase the likelihood of demonstrating experimental control.

When would a behavior analyst conduct a functional behavior assessment? A)When a client the behavior analyst has been working with for years displays a new problem behaviorB)When he receives a client from another behavior analyst who has previously conducted a functional behavior assessmentC)When he receives a new client who has never received behavioral supportsD)(All of the above)

D. FBAs are conducted to determine the function of a problem behavior. Therefore, they should be conducted when the behavior analyst begins working with them (even if an FBA was previously conducted by another behavior analyst, since the function of the behavior may change over time). Also, if a new problem behavior arises, the function of that behavior will need to be analyzed.

Igor is taught that he can leave math class after the school bell rings. One day in the middle of class, his teacher's phone rings. Igor walks out of class. He no longer walks out of class when the school bell rings and only walks out of class when his teacher's phone rings.Igor walking out of class is an example of: A)overgeneralization. B)response generalization.C)response maintenance.D)faulty stimulus control.

D. Faulty stimulus control means that a behavior is constantly and solely evoked by an incorrect antecedent stimulus. Overgeneralization means that the behavior is under a stimulus class that is too broad. That is, the response is occurring under similar but incorrect stimuli as well as the correct stimulus. The correct discriminative stimulus in this example is the school bell. The school bell should evoke the response of Igor walking out of class. However, since he walked out of class when his teacher's phone rang, this shows that Igor's behavior was evoked by an incorrect stimulus. Since the behavior is evoked only by an improper stimulus, this is considered faulty stimulus control. "Response generalization" is incorrect since the same behavior (walking out of class) is being emitted. Response generalization involves emitting a new behavior that is functionally equivalent. "Response maintenance" is incorrect since this means a skill that was taught with an intervention continues to occur under the correct conditions after the intervention has been discontinued. This is not response maintenance because Igor is not engaging in the trained response.

For which of the following baseline(s) is it appropriate to start the intervention phase? A)A stable baselineB)A baseline that has an increasing trend, if the goal is to decrease that behaviorC)A baseline that has a decreasing trend, if the goal of the intervention is to increase that behaviorD)(All of the above)

D. Generally, you would want a baseline to be stable prior to starting the intervention phase. However, you can also demonstrate a functional relation if you start the intervention phase that is counter to the trend of the baseline. If a baseline was decreasing in trend and the intervention was designed to increase the behavior, then it is still appropriate to implement the intervention. If a baseline had an increasing trend and the intervention is designed to decrease the behavior, then it is also appropriate to start the intervention if necessary.

Zack is using a multiple baseline across behaviors design with his client. After all three behaviors show a steady baseline, he applies the intervention to the 1st behavior. The 1st behavior increases while the other behaviors remain stable. After steady responding is gained, he introduces the intervention to the 2nd behavior. The 2nd behavior increases to the level of the 1st behavior and the 3rd behavior still remains stable. Finally, the intervention is applied to the 3rd behavior. It appears that the intervention increased the rate of responding for all 3 behaviors. To demonstrate experimental control, Zack needs to show prediction, verification, and replication in his study. Which part of this study demonstrates verification? A)When the intervention was applied to the 2nd behavior, results were similar to the 1st behavior.B)When the intervention was applied to the 2nd behavior, the 1st behavior returned to baseline levels.C)When the intervention was applied to the 3rd behavior, results were similar to when the intervention was applied to the 1st and 2nd behavior. D)When the intervention was applied to the 1st behavior, the 2nd and 3rd behavior remained stable

D. In a multiple baseline across behaviors design, the intervention is applied to 1 behavior at a time. When all 3 behaviors have reached a stable baseline, the intervention was applied to the 1st behavior and the behavior increased. Because behavior is relatively constant if no intervention is applied, we can predict that the 1st behavior would have remained stable if the intervention was never introduced. This prediction is verified by the 2nd and 3rd behavior remaining unchanged when the intervention was applied only to the 1st behavior. (Because the other behaviors remained unchanged, the prediction that the 1st behavior would have remained unchanged if the intervention was not implemented was verified.) Replication was demonstrated when similar effects were achieved after the intervention was applied to each behavior. "When the intervention was applied to the 2nd behavior, the 1st behavior returned to baseline levels" is incorrect since this was not mentioned in the example and this is not how verification is demonstrated.

A practitioner is trying to determine which of two interventions would be most beneficial for her client. However, she doesn't have enough time to collect baseline data. The best experimental design for her to use would be: A)a brief multiple baseline across treatments design.B)a changing criterion design.C)a multiple-probe design.D)an alternating treatments design.

D. In an alternating treatments design, collecting baseline data is not necessary in all cases. Multiple probe designs, changing criteria designs, and multiple baseline designs need baseline data to demonstrate a functional relationship between the intervention and behavior.

Whenever Pete's grandfather approaches him, Pete engages in self-injurious behavior. Therefore, we can determine the function of Pete's behavior is: A)attention.B)escape.C)automatic.D)(Cannot determine)

D. Just because we know Pete engages in self-injurious behavior when his grandfather approaches him does not mean that we can pinpoint a specific function of the behavior. Does Pete engage in this behavior at any other time? Is he doing it to get his grandfather's attention when he is in close proximity to Pete? Is he doing it to escape the presence of his grandfather (if his grandfather typically leaves him alone when he engages in SIB)? We don't know. Therefore, the answer is "Cannot Determine".

The effectiveness of a reinforcer can be influenced by: A)how quickly and consistently it is delivered.B)the quality of the item.C)the quantity of the item.D)(All of the above)

D. Many factors can influence a reinforcer's effectiveness. Deprivation can make the reinforcer more potent. How quickly and consistently the reinforcer is delivered also influences a reinforcer's effectiveness. The quality of the item influences how reinforcing an item is. I would be much more likely to work for a brand new car than I would for a rusty, broken down car. The quantity (or time spent) with a reinforcer can influence its effectiveness as well.

This approach to psychology restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe: A)Radical Behaviorism B)Experimental Analysis of BehaviorC)Applied Behavior AnalysisD)Methodological Behaviorism

D. Methodological behaviorism is the approach to psychology restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe. Radical behaviorism is incorrect because it includes thoughts and feelings (methodological behaviorism does not). Applied behavior analysis is the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for behavior change. Experimental analysis of behavior focuses on analyzing the basic principles that explain behavior.

Money can be a: A)generalized conditioned reinforcer.B)secondary reinforcer.C)natural reinforcer.D)(All of the above)

D. Money can be a generalized conditioned reinforcer because it can be paired with many different forms of backup reinforcers (you can use money to buy many things). Money is a secondary reinforcer because it is a learned reinforcer (it has no value to you at birth). Money can also be considered a natural reinforcer because money is used outside of the training setting in almost all places. Consider this example: you teach your client to fold towels in his home and you use contrived reinforcement in the form of candy to help establish his towel-folding behavior. Then, he gains employment at a hotel where he folds towels. Since we are no longer contriving contingencies of reinforcement via candy, money can be considered natural reinforcement. People in the natural environment earn money for doing their job. So, him working for money (just like everyone else does) could be considered natural reinforcement, since it reinforces the behavior outside of the initial training setting. Since money is a typical consequence for specific behaviors at work, it can sometimes be considered as natural reinforcement (if it is delivered quickly enough, such as being paid per part). However, money can also be a contrived reinforcer. (i.e., A parent makes a deal with their child that if he can stay quiet for 5 minutes, he will receive a dollar. Since most people do not receive money for staying quiet for 5 minutes, it would be considered a contrived reinforcer.)

Jerry is a behavior analyst who is a veteran in the field of ABA. He has been using a procedure to teach his clients how to wash their hands for the past 20 years. Mallory is a recently certified behavior analyst who discovered a more beneficial way to teach clients how to wash their hands. Even though Jerry has been using the same method to teach hand washing for the past 20 years, he starts using Mallory's strategy instead because the data show it is more effective. What attitude of science does this describe? A)DeterminismB)ParsimonyC)EmpiricismD)Philosophic doubt

D. Philosophic doubt means that scientists are willing to set aside their beliefs and strategies when an experiment scientifically proves that a better strategy is available. "Determinism" is incorrect since this refers to the belief that behavior is lawful and will remain unchanged if nothing in the environment changes. "Parsimony" is incorrect since this means that scientists explain phenomena with the easiest explanation available. "Empiricism" is incorrect since this refers to the idea that scientists should remain unbiased and objective during experiments.

This approach to psychology considers private events as behavior: A)Mentalism.B)Pragmatism. C)Methodological Behaviorism.D)Radical Behaviorism.

D. Radical Behaviorism is an approach to psychology that addresses everything in terms of the principles of behavior (including private events). This differs from methodological behaviorists that do not consider private events or feelings to be behavior.

Daisy walks out of class after she is asked to do schoolwork that she does not enjoy. In math class, she eloped 5 times. In science class, she eloped 2 times. In art class, she did not elope. Each class is one hour long. What is the frequency of Daisy's elopement today? A)2.33 instancesB)2.33 instances per hourC)3.5 instances per classD)7 instances

D. She eloped 5 times in math class and 2 times in science class. 5+2=7 instances. Frequency is simply the amount of times a behavior occurs. Rate is frequency divided over a unit of time. Therefore, "3.5 instances per class" and "2.33 instances per hour" are incorrect. "2.33 instances" instances is also incorrect since the behavior occurred 7 times.

Reinforcer assessments include: A)concurrent schedule reinforcer assessments.B)multiple schedule reinforcer assessments.C)progressive-ratio schedule reinforcer assessments.D)(All of the above)

D. The 3 different types of reinforcer assessments are concurrent schedule reinforcer assessments, multiple schedule reinforcer assessments, and progressive-ratio schedule reinforcer assessments.

A behavior analyst is using an extinction procedure for her client's verbal aggression. What should the behavior analyst monitor for? A)Behavioral contrast in other settingsB)An extinction burstC)New undesirable behaviorsD)(All of the above)

D. The behavior analyst must watch for an extinction burst, which is a common occurrence when using extinction procedures. The behavior analyst should also monitor for behavioral contrast effects. If a behavior is put on extinction in one setting, it may occur more frequently in other settings. The behavior analyst should also watch for the possibility of new undesirable behaviors occurring. Sometimes, if an undesired behavior is suppressed, another inappropriate behavior that is part of the same functional response class may "pop up".

During a functional analysis, the child only displays the target behavior in front of the therapist. Therefore we can determine the function of the behavior is: A)access to attention.B)access to tangibles.C)escape.D)(cannot determine)

D. The child only displays the behavior in front of the therapist, so we can likely only rule out automatic reinforcement because the target behavior would likely occur in the absence of the therapist as well (during the alone condition). However, access to tangible items, access to attention, and escape would all likely involve a therapist in the room. Since any of these conditions may control the behavior, the correct answer is "cannot determine" since the information provided was inadequate for identifying the exact function of the behavior.

Which of the following is not one of the seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968)? A)AppliedB)BehavioralC)TechnologicalD)Experimental

D. The seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis are: Applied, Behavioral, Analytic, Technological, Conceptual Systems, Effective, and Generality.

Louis is designing an intervention for his client. He makes sure that the techniques making up the intervention are completely identified and described, so that other ABA practitioners may replicate his intervention. Which dimension of behavior analysis (according to Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968) is described in this scenario? A)GeneralityB)EffectiveC)BehavioralD)Technological

D. The technological dimension of ABA means that the techniques making up a particular behavioral application are completely identified and described. This means that behavior analysts should write their interventions clearly and concisely so that other ABA practitioners can replicate their intervention.

Sebastian enjoys throwing rocks at cars. He likes the sound the rock makes when it smashes the window out of a car. Sebastian throws rocks at cars that pass by his house, cars that pass by his school, and parked cars at a nearby grocery store.A behavior analyst wants to work with Sebastian on his rock-throwing behavior. Which experimental design should the behavior analyst use? A)A multiple baseline design across behaviorsB)A multiple baseline design across subjectsC)A multiple baseline design across settingsD)(None of the above)

D. This behavior is very dangerous. It could result in people being seriously injured. Sebastian could end up in jail, he could be sued for damages, etc. Continuing a baseline phase in this situation is unethical. Since an intervention would need to be implemented immediately, a multiple baseline design would not be ideal in this situation. (Note: If this was NOT a dangerous behavior, the behavior analyst could use a multiple baseline design across settings.)

Which of the following is NOT a distinguishing feature of single-subject research designs? A)Individuals serve as their own control.B)They allow for repeated measures.C)They allow for prediction, verification, and replication.D)They can only be conducted with one subject.

D. This is not a distinguishing characteristic of single-subject research designs. Single-subject research designs can be conducted with one subject, or a small group of subjects. The reason they are called single-subject designs is because each individual's data is tracked, rather than an average of the entire group's data. Therefore, individuals serve as their own control. This allows for repeated measures of the behavior throughout the research study. It also allows us to predict, verify, and replicate the experimental results.

Gracie overhears her parents talking about her teacher. Her mom says, "I hate Gracie's teacher! She is letting her fall behind in class. I hope she gets fired!" The next day Gracie goes to school and tells her teacher, "My mom hates you and hopes you get fired!" Gracie's verbal behavior is an example of: A)an echoic.B)a mand.C)an intraverbal.D)(None of the above)

D. This is not an echoic because Gracie did not say the exact same thing as her mother; she worded it differently. This is not a mand because Gracie is not requesting/asking for anything. Finally, this is not an intraverbal since Gracie initiated the conversation (an intraverbal would be evoked by the teacher speaking first). Her verbal behavior is best described as a tact. Therefore, the correct answer is "none of the above".

Which explanation of behavior would most likely be made by a radical behavior analyst? A)Jimmy gets frustrated when the other children don't play with him.B)Jimmy runs around the classroom because he eats too much sugar at breakfast time. C)Jimmy enjoys reading over math because he engages in fewer problem behaviors during reading time. D)Jimmy's environment does not provide enough reinforcement and he engages in the problem behavior to receive attention.

D. This is the most correct choice for the explanation of behavior from the perspective of a radical behavior analyst.

Which of the following is a threat to internal validity? A)Confounding variablesB)MaturationC)Low treatment integrityD)(All of the above)

D. Threats to internal validity can include: confounding variables, maturation, setting confounds, measurement confounds, poor operational definitions, and low treatment integrity.

When conducting the contingent escape phase of a functional analysis, what type of demand should the behavior analyst use? A)A highly preferred demandB)A demand that has resulted in aggression in the pastC)A neutral demandD)A demand that has a history of evoking the problem behavior

D. When delivering demands in the contingent escape phase of a functional analysis, a behavior analyst should use a demand that has evoked the target behavior in the past. Since we are trying to evoke the target behavior in a functional analysis, demands that have a history of evoking the target behavior are the most beneficial to use. "A demand that has resulted in aggression in the past" is less correct. Since a functional analysis can be used to determine the function of many behaviors (not just aggression), this answer option is less correct.

When teaching a new skill, what type of reinforcement schedule is recommended? A)ContinuousB)An FR1C)Reinforcing every occurrence of the target behaviorD)(All of the above)

D. When teaching a new skill, a behavior analyst should reinforce every occurrence of the target behavior initially. All of the answer choices are synonymous.

During the contingent escape condition of a functional analysis, how long should the demand be discontinued after the target response occurs? A)For the rest of the sessionB)For the rest of the dayC)Until the target response occurs againD)Less than one minute

D. When the target response occurs during the contingent escape condition, the demand should be discontinued for about half a minute (not a day or for the rest of the session). "Until the target response occurs again" is incorrect because the demand is delivered again within 60 seconds, typically.

Mr. Smith catches his teenage son smoking cigarettes. Mr. Smith takes the cigarettes and rips them up. His son cries and says he will never smoke again. This is an example of: A)negative punishment. B)positive punishment. C)negative reinforcement. D)Cannot determine

D. imply because his son says he will not smoke again, does not mean that he truly will quit. Since the scenario did not say that his son stopped smoking in the future, we cannot determine that Mr. Smith's actions were in fact a punisher.

Clarissa works at a vacuum factory. Today, her boss said, "For every black vacuum you assemble, you will receive $20. For every grey vacuum you assemble, you will receive $15." It takes about 1 hour to build a vacuum, no matter the color. It also takes the same amount of effort to build a black and grey vacuum. Clarissa builds 4 black vacuums today. According to the Matching Law, Clarissa most likely built _______________ grey vacuums today. A)0B)2C)3D)5

The matching law refers to the distribution of responses when there is more than one schedule of reinforcement available at the same time. With concurrent variable interval or concurrent fixed interval schedules of reinforcement, the person is likely to distribute their responding proportionally between the two schedules of reinforcement. With concurrent variable ratio or concurrent fixed ratio schedules of reinforcement, the person is likely to allocate all of their responses to the highest level of reinforcement. Since Clarissa's reinforcement schedule is on a fixed ratio schedule (one black vacuum=$20 and one grey vacuum=$15), she is likely to allocate all of her time to build black vacuums. Therefore, according to the Matching Law, Clarissa likely built 0 grey vacuums this day.