BCABA Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Question and Answers

It would be unprofessional and unethical for the behavior analyst to advise a relative.

The behavior analyst can consult with their cousin, but only on an informal basis once the cousin hires their own behavior analyst.

Early intensive behavioral intervention may suit the child and family. The behavior analyst should suggest some people for the cousin to contact.

Tell the cousin that the child will benefit from behavioral intervention with the impact of the intervention depending on the specific treatment that is implemented.

Behaviors are given letter-codes that represent the complete topographical definition of the behaviors, e.g., “on-task academic behavior” is represented by “O” on the recording sheet.

Observations should be made only when the behavior is likely to occur most frequently during a day, for instance, during a particular academic class.

Recordings of behavior during the whole school day may be needed initially to assess the representativeness of samples within the day.

Representativeness can be assured by scheduling observations in sessions of 60 minutes or more in the morning and afternoon school schedule.

automatic positive reinforcement

automatic negative reinforcement

proprioceptive positive reinforcement

proprioceptive negative reinforcement

Every time Mitch uses the washroom, an aide stands at the door, records the task analysis steps successfully completed, and posts the results on the bathroom door.

If all steps to toileting and hand-washing are completed successfully, the teacher gives Mitch a smile and notes the frequency on a chart at her desk.

If Mitch makes errors on toileting and hand-washing tasks, a positive practice procedure is implemented.

Upon successful completion of toileting and hand-washing, the teacher announces, "Good toileting, Mitch," and marks the success on a wall chart.

Sally pushes the shopping cart with both hands.

Sally drops items into the cart when her dad gives them to her.

Sally keeps her hands in her pockets while in the store.

Sally holds dad's hand while shopping and gets to let go when quiet.

applied to ecological assessments to generalize skills.

developed prior to the identified intervention.

initially broad in focus with subsequent reduction to a target response.

measured independent of practice effects or reactivity.

home condition.

play condition.

social attention condition.

demand condition.

based on phylogeny, whereas rule-governed behavior is based on ontogeny.

established as a function of relations among unconditioned stimuli, a response class, and reinforcement.

more resistant to extinction than rule-governed behavior.

established as the result of a person's experience.

deliver the reinforcer non-contingently.

reduce the magnitude of the reinforcer.

thin the schedule of reinforcement.

temporarily remove the reinforcer.

Science is based on determinism.

Determinism is in contrast to empiricism.

All science is predicated on determinism.

The universe is orderly and follows universal laws.

an establishing operation.

a functional response class.

respondent behaviors.

a topographical response class.

check the reliability from the questionnaire's information.

conduct formal interviews to supplement the available information.

obtain data on the targeted behaviors.

use available information only.

a summary of the functional assessment; the target behavior; and the consequences for its occurrence and non-occurrence.

vocal descriptions of how the behavior is to be measured; the consequences for its occurrence and non-occurrence; the contract manager; and the target behavior.

written descriptions of how the behavior is to be measured; when behavior must occur; the consequences for its occurrence and non-occurrence; the contract manager; and the target behavior.

a summary of the functional assessment; written descriptions of how the behavior is to be measured; when behavior must occur; the contract manager; and the target behavior.

noncontingent reinforcement; interval

differential reinforcement; interval

noncontingent reinforcement; ratio

differential reinforcement; ratio

It always elicits a response.

It is defined by its effect on behavior.

It is established using either operant or respondent procedures.

It is any change in the environment.

responses per minute per individual and repeated measures

individual performance goals, assisted prompting, and repeated measures

required study guides, lecture and discussion notes, and individual goals

mastery, self-paced progress, reading materials, proctors, and optional lectures

context.

fluency.

generalization.

mastery.

determinism

empiricism

philosophic doubt

parsimony

an echoic.

an intraverbal.

a mand.

a tact.

Continually reinforce the behavior in the natural environment.

Discontinue the schedule of reinforcement used in the training environment.

Implement a token economy including point gains and point losses for use in both the training setting and the natural environment.

Use a reinforcement schedule that most closely approximates the schedule in the natural environment.

effective

ethical

conceptually systematic

technological

conditional reinforcers

generalized conditioned reinforcers

generalized unconditioned reinforcers

unconditional reinforcers

develop a self-management plan for eliminating nail biting as this is the preference of the client.

develop a self-management plan for eliminating smoking as this behavior poses a serious health risk for the client.

convince the client to change their first goal to elimination of smoking.

refer the client to another behavior analyst as there is a discrepancy in goal setting priorities.

A company gives an annual bonus to its employees. Employees are happy.

Law enforcement officer gives a ticket to a speeder. Driver stops speeding.

Child loses a sticker each time they talk out in class. Rates of talking out decrease.

Student is sent to detention for fighting. Student is found in detention every week.

collecting empirical data.

conducting a baseline of target behaviors.

manipulating ecological factors.

prioritizing goals and objectives.

antecedent, increase

antecedent, maintain

consequent, increase

consequent, maintain

applying behavior analysis principles to change one's own behavior.

a method for capitalizing on an individual's will power.

primarily used for extinguishing one's own undesirable behaviors.

based on personalized systems of instruction.

establishing operation.

operant behavior.

punishment.

respondent behavior.

a negative reinforcer.

an SDp.

an SΔ.

an SP.

Keep a running tally of the occurrences on the chalk board.

Record each occurrence using a portable counter.

Use a timer and record the number of minutes for each occurrence.

Document whether or not the behavior occurred every hour.

Clearly explain the punishment consequences to the person whose behavior is targeted for reduction.

Discontinue reinforcement contingencies for the behavior targeted for reduction.

Ensure that the punisher fits the behavior targeted for reduction.

Remove attention for the behavior targeted for reduction.

availability of competent staff.

ease of implementation.

increasing a person’s independence.

compliance with guardian requests.

a demand for attention.

a verbal operant which specifies its reinforcer.

verbal behavior elicited by a particular reinforcer.

a verbal response which changes the value of a reinforcer.

approximate that of the natural environment.

be a rich schedule in order to promote generalization to the natural environment.

be gradually eliminated since the behavior should be self-reinforcing for maintenance to occur.

have mild punishers added for incorrect responses in order to simulate the natural environment.

a 20% change at each step

a standard five increment change

the function of the behavior to be changed

the particular behavior to be changed and its current incidence

time-out.

planned ignoring.

extinction.

negative reinforcement.

compliance.

reading acquisition.

self-injury.

stereotypy.