Neuroscience Certified Brain Injury Specialist
Exam (CBIS) Exam Guide
C
What is pseudobulbar affect neurologic condition in which people are prone to sudden, unexpected,
inexplicable, and often inordinate episodes of crying or laughing
What factors influence the type and extent of site and severity of damage; pre-injury characteristics of personality,
behavioral difficulties an individual may demonstrate intelligence, and learning style, and the current environment
after brain injury?
What is coma-emergent agitation? How long does it episode of agitation that may occur as an individual emerges from coma that
last? is usually brief, lasting less than 10 days in duration
What is consequence-based programming? interventions focused on learning; not indicated for individuals emerging from
coma and demonstrating agitation or confusion
What is often the safest and most efficient technique for through environmental management, where the focus is on offering a
dealing with agitation in a behavior-based manner? quiet, organized, and structured environment with limited and carefully
managed stimulation
What is the Stability Triangle? Is a construct which is useful when identifying treatment priorities and
establishing the treatment plan; contains the following: establish medical
stability, promote behavior stability, and develop a stable activity plan
What is applied behavior analysis? the science of prediction and change of socially significant behaviors
What is behavior? anything an individual does that can be measured, NOT necessarily
yelling/hitting/spitting/etc.
What is the goal of applied behavior analysis? to discover variables that reliably influence behavior to either predict behavior
change or promote behavior change
What are indirect methods of behavior assessment? interviews, checklists, may be reviewed with caregivers, family members, and
the individual themselves; can be subject to bias d/t self-reporting
What are direct methods of behavior assessment? direct observations of an individual, either in a naturally-occurring situation
or one in which specific variables have been controlled or manipulated
for
assessment purposes
What is Functional Analysis/Functional Assessment methods of direct observation within the field of behavior analysis conducted
by BCBA to pinpoint the potential function or purpose of a behavior via
experimental manipulation
What is a functionally equivalent alternative? a behavior that serves the same function as the target behavior but is safer
or more appropriate and thus more useful for the individual (e.g., instead of
yelling resulting in d/c of a non-preferred task, request a break)
1/7
, What is an operational definition? a definition that outlines what exactly will be counted as an occurrence or
episode of the behavior; must be observable and measurable, and the
definition must be specific enough such that multiple observers can agree
upon what would count as an occurrence
What are two dimensions of a behavior that will be topography (what the behavior looks like physically) and intensity (describing
important to take into account when developing an the measure of force)
operational definition?
What are five variables of interest when measuring frequency, rate, duration, latency, and % correct
behavior?
What is the four-term contingency within the field of establishing operation; discriminative stimulus; response/behavior;
behavior analysis? consequence
What is A-B-C analysis? A=antecedent, B=behavior/response, C=consequence
What is positive reinforcement? adding something makes a response more likely to occur in the future (e.g., if
you do your chores, I'll give you $5)
What is negative reinforcement? taking away something makes a response more likely to occur in the future
(e.g., if you do your HW, you can skip chores tonight)
What is positive punishment? adding something to make a response less likely in the future (e.g., if you hit
your sister, you have to do the chores)
What is negative punishment? taking something away to make a response less likely in the future (e.g., if you
hit your sister, you can't play Xbox)
What are 3 kinds of schedules of reinforcement? extinction (decline in previously reinforced response d/t no more
consequence), continuous (response always produces reinforcer), and
intermittent (response sometimes produces a reinforcer)
What are consequence-based interventions? systematic intervention wherein the target behavior is followed by a specific
kind of consequences, which depends on whether the behavior is targeted for
increase or decrease
What is a task analysis? a list of very specific steps involved in completing a task; can be used to break
down larger tasks into smaller component steps
What is a shaping technique? reinforcing actions that loosely resemble the target behavior and are more
easily displayed by an individual (successive approximations)
What is fading? the process by which one learns to produce the same response under
gradually changing conditions
What is generalization? when one begins to respond similarly to different stimuli or situations in which
they have not been trained
What is discrimination? when an individual responds differently to similar stimuli
What are some examples of paraverbal behavior? personal space, body posture and motion, facial expression and gaze, and
tone, volume and cadence of speech
2/7
Exam (CBIS) Exam Guide
C
What is pseudobulbar affect neurologic condition in which people are prone to sudden, unexpected,
inexplicable, and often inordinate episodes of crying or laughing
What factors influence the type and extent of site and severity of damage; pre-injury characteristics of personality,
behavioral difficulties an individual may demonstrate intelligence, and learning style, and the current environment
after brain injury?
What is coma-emergent agitation? How long does it episode of agitation that may occur as an individual emerges from coma that
last? is usually brief, lasting less than 10 days in duration
What is consequence-based programming? interventions focused on learning; not indicated for individuals emerging from
coma and demonstrating agitation or confusion
What is often the safest and most efficient technique for through environmental management, where the focus is on offering a
dealing with agitation in a behavior-based manner? quiet, organized, and structured environment with limited and carefully
managed stimulation
What is the Stability Triangle? Is a construct which is useful when identifying treatment priorities and
establishing the treatment plan; contains the following: establish medical
stability, promote behavior stability, and develop a stable activity plan
What is applied behavior analysis? the science of prediction and change of socially significant behaviors
What is behavior? anything an individual does that can be measured, NOT necessarily
yelling/hitting/spitting/etc.
What is the goal of applied behavior analysis? to discover variables that reliably influence behavior to either predict behavior
change or promote behavior change
What are indirect methods of behavior assessment? interviews, checklists, may be reviewed with caregivers, family members, and
the individual themselves; can be subject to bias d/t self-reporting
What are direct methods of behavior assessment? direct observations of an individual, either in a naturally-occurring situation
or one in which specific variables have been controlled or manipulated
for
assessment purposes
What is Functional Analysis/Functional Assessment methods of direct observation within the field of behavior analysis conducted
by BCBA to pinpoint the potential function or purpose of a behavior via
experimental manipulation
What is a functionally equivalent alternative? a behavior that serves the same function as the target behavior but is safer
or more appropriate and thus more useful for the individual (e.g., instead of
yelling resulting in d/c of a non-preferred task, request a break)
1/7
, What is an operational definition? a definition that outlines what exactly will be counted as an occurrence or
episode of the behavior; must be observable and measurable, and the
definition must be specific enough such that multiple observers can agree
upon what would count as an occurrence
What are two dimensions of a behavior that will be topography (what the behavior looks like physically) and intensity (describing
important to take into account when developing an the measure of force)
operational definition?
What are five variables of interest when measuring frequency, rate, duration, latency, and % correct
behavior?
What is the four-term contingency within the field of establishing operation; discriminative stimulus; response/behavior;
behavior analysis? consequence
What is A-B-C analysis? A=antecedent, B=behavior/response, C=consequence
What is positive reinforcement? adding something makes a response more likely to occur in the future (e.g., if
you do your chores, I'll give you $5)
What is negative reinforcement? taking away something makes a response more likely to occur in the future
(e.g., if you do your HW, you can skip chores tonight)
What is positive punishment? adding something to make a response less likely in the future (e.g., if you hit
your sister, you have to do the chores)
What is negative punishment? taking something away to make a response less likely in the future (e.g., if you
hit your sister, you can't play Xbox)
What are 3 kinds of schedules of reinforcement? extinction (decline in previously reinforced response d/t no more
consequence), continuous (response always produces reinforcer), and
intermittent (response sometimes produces a reinforcer)
What are consequence-based interventions? systematic intervention wherein the target behavior is followed by a specific
kind of consequences, which depends on whether the behavior is targeted for
increase or decrease
What is a task analysis? a list of very specific steps involved in completing a task; can be used to break
down larger tasks into smaller component steps
What is a shaping technique? reinforcing actions that loosely resemble the target behavior and are more
easily displayed by an individual (successive approximations)
What is fading? the process by which one learns to produce the same response under
gradually changing conditions
What is generalization? when one begins to respond similarly to different stimuli or situations in which
they have not been trained
What is discrimination? when an individual responds differently to similar stimuli
What are some examples of paraverbal behavior? personal space, body posture and motion, facial expression and gaze, and
tone, volume and cadence of speech
2/7
