EDF 6223 ABA and Systems Support Final Exam Questions and
Answers | Verified Answers with Detailed Rationales (2026/2027
Edition)
Applied Behavior Analysis and Systems Support
University of West Florida
EDF 6223 – Final Examination
2026/2027 Edition
SECTION 1: Shaping and Chaining
(7 questions)
Question 1
A BCBA is teaching a client to independently fasten a belt buckle. The client currently
can thread the belt through the loops but cannot align the prong with the hole. The
BCBA breaks the skill into discrete steps, teaches the first step to mastery, then adds
the second step, and continues until the full chain is complete. Which chaining
procedure is being described?
A. Total task presentation
B. Backward chaining
C. Forward chaining
D. Shaping with chaining
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Forward chaining involves teaching the first step of a behavior chain to
criterion, then adding the second step, and progressively adding each subsequent step
until the entire chain is performed independently. In this scenario, the BCBA begins with
the first step (threading the belt) and sequentially adds steps, which is the defining
feature of forward chaining. Total task presentation (A) requires the learner to attempt
the entire chain from the beginning with prompting as needed. Backward chaining (B)
begins with teaching the last step first and working backward through the chain.
,Shaping with chaining (D) is not a standard chaining procedure; shaping involves
differential reinforcement of successive approximations toward a terminal behavior,
whereas chaining involves linking discrete responses into a sequence. This question
aligns with BACB 5th Edition Task List Section B-12 (chaining procedures) and Cooper,
Heron, and Heward (2020).
Question 2
During a shaping procedure for teaching a child to say "water," the therapist initially
reinforces any vocalization, then only lip movements with sound, then only
approximations containing the /w/ sound, and finally the complete word. Which
component of shaping is exemplified when the therapist detects that the child's
behavior has changed from random vocalizations to lip movements with sound?
A. Differential reinforcement of successive approximations
B. The analyst's discriminated judgment
C. The analyst's detection of a behavior change
D. Response differentiation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Shaping consists of three interrelated parts: (1) the analyst detects a change
in the behavior, (2) the analyst makes a discriminated judgment that the change
represents a closer approximation to the terminal behavior, and (3) the analyst
differentially reinforces that approximation. Detecting that the child's behavior has
changed from random vocalizations to lip movements with sound represents the first
component—detection of behavior change. Differential reinforcement of successive
approximations (A) refers to the third component, the actual reinforcement delivery. The
analyst's discriminated judgment (B) refers to the second component, evaluating
whether the change is toward the terminal behavior. Response differentiation (D) is the
outcome of differential reinforcement, where response frequency changes along some
dimension, but it does not describe the analyst's detection process. This aligns with
BACB 5th Edition Task List Section B-9 (shaping) and Cooper et al. (2020).
Question 3
,A behavior analyst is developing a task analysis for teaching a teenager with autism to
prepare a simple sandwich. The analyst observes the teenager's typically developing
sibling perform the task and uses this observation to develop the initial sequence.
However, the analyst plans to modify steps based on the teenager's motor skills and
prior cooking experience. Which principle is most critical in this scenario?
A. Task analyses must always be derived from normative developmental sequences.
B. Task analyses should be individualized according to the learner's age, skill level, and
prior experience.
C. Task analyses should contain the maximum number of steps to ensure
comprehensive coverage.
D. Task analyses are only valid when based on the behavior chain of a skilled performer.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A task analysis is the process of breaking a complex skill into smaller,
teachable units. According to Cooper et al. (2020), task analyses must be individualized
based on the learner's characteristics, including age, current skill level, and prior
experience. While observing a skilled performer can inform the initial sequence, the final
task analysis must be tailored to the specific learner. Option A is incorrect because
normative sequences are a starting point, not a requirement. Option C is incorrect
because excessive steps can make learning inefficient; steps should be as few as
necessary while maintaining teachable units. Option D is incorrect because task
analyses can be developed through various methods (e.g., observing skilled performers,
consulting experts, or performing the task oneself) and must be validated with the
individual learner. This aligns with BACB 5th Edition Task List Section B-12.
Question 4
In a behavior chain, each response (except the first) produces a stimulus change that
serves as a conditioned reinforcer for the response that produced it and as a
discriminative stimulus for the next response in the sequence. What is the term for this
stimulus change?
A. Establishing operation
B. S-delta
C. Conditioned reinforcer and discriminative stimulus (S^D)
D. Abolishing operation
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In a behavior chain, the stimulus change produced by each response serves a
dual function: it acts as a conditioned reinforcer for the response that just occurred and
as a discriminative stimulus (S^D) that sets the occasion for the next response in the
chain. This dual function is the defining mechanism that links individual responses into
a sequential chain. An establishing operation (A) is an environmental event that
momentarily alters the effectiveness of a reinforcer and the frequency of behavior
maintained by that reinforcer. S-delta (B) is a stimulus in the presence of which a
particular response will not be reinforced. An abolishing operation (D) momentarily
decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer. This question aligns with BACB 5th Edition
Task List Section B-12 and Cooper et al. (2020).
Question 5
A client learning to make a bed currently requires full physical guidance for all steps.
The behavior analyst decides to teach the last step first (tucking in the final corner),
then the second-to-last step paired with the last, and so on until the client performs the
entire chain independently. The analyst provides full physical prompts for all untrained
steps. Which procedure is being implemented?
A. Forward chaining with total task prompts
B. Backward chaining with total task prompts
C. Backward chaining with partial task prompts
D. Total task presentation with most-to-least prompting
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Backward chaining involves teaching the last step of a behavior chain to
criterion first, then teaching the second-to-last step paired with the already-mastered
last step, and continuing backward through the chain. In this scenario, the analyst
teaches the last step first and works backward, which defines backward chaining. The
analyst provides full physical guidance (total task prompts) for all untrained steps while
the client performs the targeted step, which is consistent with backward chaining
implementation. Forward chaining (A) would begin with the first step. Partial task
prompts (C) would involve less intrusive prompting than full physical guidance. Total
Answers | Verified Answers with Detailed Rationales (2026/2027
Edition)
Applied Behavior Analysis and Systems Support
University of West Florida
EDF 6223 – Final Examination
2026/2027 Edition
SECTION 1: Shaping and Chaining
(7 questions)
Question 1
A BCBA is teaching a client to independently fasten a belt buckle. The client currently
can thread the belt through the loops but cannot align the prong with the hole. The
BCBA breaks the skill into discrete steps, teaches the first step to mastery, then adds
the second step, and continues until the full chain is complete. Which chaining
procedure is being described?
A. Total task presentation
B. Backward chaining
C. Forward chaining
D. Shaping with chaining
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Forward chaining involves teaching the first step of a behavior chain to
criterion, then adding the second step, and progressively adding each subsequent step
until the entire chain is performed independently. In this scenario, the BCBA begins with
the first step (threading the belt) and sequentially adds steps, which is the defining
feature of forward chaining. Total task presentation (A) requires the learner to attempt
the entire chain from the beginning with prompting as needed. Backward chaining (B)
begins with teaching the last step first and working backward through the chain.
,Shaping with chaining (D) is not a standard chaining procedure; shaping involves
differential reinforcement of successive approximations toward a terminal behavior,
whereas chaining involves linking discrete responses into a sequence. This question
aligns with BACB 5th Edition Task List Section B-12 (chaining procedures) and Cooper,
Heron, and Heward (2020).
Question 2
During a shaping procedure for teaching a child to say "water," the therapist initially
reinforces any vocalization, then only lip movements with sound, then only
approximations containing the /w/ sound, and finally the complete word. Which
component of shaping is exemplified when the therapist detects that the child's
behavior has changed from random vocalizations to lip movements with sound?
A. Differential reinforcement of successive approximations
B. The analyst's discriminated judgment
C. The analyst's detection of a behavior change
D. Response differentiation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Shaping consists of three interrelated parts: (1) the analyst detects a change
in the behavior, (2) the analyst makes a discriminated judgment that the change
represents a closer approximation to the terminal behavior, and (3) the analyst
differentially reinforces that approximation. Detecting that the child's behavior has
changed from random vocalizations to lip movements with sound represents the first
component—detection of behavior change. Differential reinforcement of successive
approximations (A) refers to the third component, the actual reinforcement delivery. The
analyst's discriminated judgment (B) refers to the second component, evaluating
whether the change is toward the terminal behavior. Response differentiation (D) is the
outcome of differential reinforcement, where response frequency changes along some
dimension, but it does not describe the analyst's detection process. This aligns with
BACB 5th Edition Task List Section B-9 (shaping) and Cooper et al. (2020).
Question 3
,A behavior analyst is developing a task analysis for teaching a teenager with autism to
prepare a simple sandwich. The analyst observes the teenager's typically developing
sibling perform the task and uses this observation to develop the initial sequence.
However, the analyst plans to modify steps based on the teenager's motor skills and
prior cooking experience. Which principle is most critical in this scenario?
A. Task analyses must always be derived from normative developmental sequences.
B. Task analyses should be individualized according to the learner's age, skill level, and
prior experience.
C. Task analyses should contain the maximum number of steps to ensure
comprehensive coverage.
D. Task analyses are only valid when based on the behavior chain of a skilled performer.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A task analysis is the process of breaking a complex skill into smaller,
teachable units. According to Cooper et al. (2020), task analyses must be individualized
based on the learner's characteristics, including age, current skill level, and prior
experience. While observing a skilled performer can inform the initial sequence, the final
task analysis must be tailored to the specific learner. Option A is incorrect because
normative sequences are a starting point, not a requirement. Option C is incorrect
because excessive steps can make learning inefficient; steps should be as few as
necessary while maintaining teachable units. Option D is incorrect because task
analyses can be developed through various methods (e.g., observing skilled performers,
consulting experts, or performing the task oneself) and must be validated with the
individual learner. This aligns with BACB 5th Edition Task List Section B-12.
Question 4
In a behavior chain, each response (except the first) produces a stimulus change that
serves as a conditioned reinforcer for the response that produced it and as a
discriminative stimulus for the next response in the sequence. What is the term for this
stimulus change?
A. Establishing operation
B. S-delta
C. Conditioned reinforcer and discriminative stimulus (S^D)
D. Abolishing operation
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In a behavior chain, the stimulus change produced by each response serves a
dual function: it acts as a conditioned reinforcer for the response that just occurred and
as a discriminative stimulus (S^D) that sets the occasion for the next response in the
chain. This dual function is the defining mechanism that links individual responses into
a sequential chain. An establishing operation (A) is an environmental event that
momentarily alters the effectiveness of a reinforcer and the frequency of behavior
maintained by that reinforcer. S-delta (B) is a stimulus in the presence of which a
particular response will not be reinforced. An abolishing operation (D) momentarily
decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer. This question aligns with BACB 5th Edition
Task List Section B-12 and Cooper et al. (2020).
Question 5
A client learning to make a bed currently requires full physical guidance for all steps.
The behavior analyst decides to teach the last step first (tucking in the final corner),
then the second-to-last step paired with the last, and so on until the client performs the
entire chain independently. The analyst provides full physical prompts for all untrained
steps. Which procedure is being implemented?
A. Forward chaining with total task prompts
B. Backward chaining with total task prompts
C. Backward chaining with partial task prompts
D. Total task presentation with most-to-least prompting
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Backward chaining involves teaching the last step of a behavior chain to
criterion first, then teaching the second-to-last step paired with the already-mastered
last step, and continuing backward through the chain. In this scenario, the analyst
teaches the last step first and works backward, which defines backward chaining. The
analyst provides full physical guidance (total task prompts) for all untrained steps while
the client performs the targeted step, which is consistent with backward chaining
implementation. Forward chaining (A) would begin with the first step. Partial task
prompts (C) would involve less intrusive prompting than full physical guidance. Total
