BCAT Exam
Motivating Operations (MO) - An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing effectiveness of
some stimulus, object, or event.
Contingency - Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior an it's
controlling variables.
Satiation - Repeated presentation of a reinforcer weakens its effectiveness and for this reason the rate
of responses declines.
Positive Reinforcement - A type of reinforcement in which the presentation of the stimulus is
contingent upon the response, resulting in an increase in the future probability of that response
Negative Reinforcement - A type of reinforcement in which removal of a stimulus is contingent on a
response, resulting in an increase in the future probability of that response.
Positive Punishment - A type of punishment in which stimulus presentation is contingent on a
response, resulting in the decrease of the future probability of that response
Negative Punishment - A type of punishment in which stimulus removal is contingent on a response,
resulting in the decrease of the future probability of that response.
Establishing Operations (EO) - Increases motivation for something and increases likelihood you will try
to access that reinforcer
Abolishing Operations (AO) - Decreases motivation for something and decreases likelihood you will try
to access that reinforcer
Discriminative Stimulus (SD) - A stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be
reinforced and in the absence of which that response will not be reinf
, Stimulus Control (Discriminative Control) - The tendency for the target behavior to occur in the
presence of the SD (b/c it was reinforced in the past)
Discrimination Training - Teach the child to respond to/tell the difference between two (or more) SDs.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT) - A specific method of teaching in which a task is isolated and taught across
multiple trials. A specific opportunity (antecedent) is presented and a specific response is expected. A
consequence follows the response.
Fluency-Based Training - Taking an existing skill and increasing accuracy and speed of skill performance
in order to develop competence
Errorless Learning - Involves early and immediate prompting of the target response so that the
learner's response is sure to be correct.
Most-to-Least Prompting - Fading from one type of prompt to another less intrusive prompt. Most
assistance to least assistance.
Least-to-Most Prompting - Staring with a least intrusive prompt possible and the client is not
successful, therefore having to move to more intrusive prompts until the client responds.
Chaining - A chain of sequence of SDs and responses where each response in the sequence (expect for
the last one) produces the SD for the next response in the sequence; A complex bx that is comprised of
many single responses that occur in a specific sequence
Forward Chaining - Begin with the first SD-Response component in the chain and then continue
forward though the remaining SD-Response components
Backward Chaining - Begin with the final step, or the last SD-Response component, then move
backwards towards the remaining components
Motivating Operations (MO) - An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing effectiveness of
some stimulus, object, or event.
Contingency - Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior an it's
controlling variables.
Satiation - Repeated presentation of a reinforcer weakens its effectiveness and for this reason the rate
of responses declines.
Positive Reinforcement - A type of reinforcement in which the presentation of the stimulus is
contingent upon the response, resulting in an increase in the future probability of that response
Negative Reinforcement - A type of reinforcement in which removal of a stimulus is contingent on a
response, resulting in an increase in the future probability of that response.
Positive Punishment - A type of punishment in which stimulus presentation is contingent on a
response, resulting in the decrease of the future probability of that response
Negative Punishment - A type of punishment in which stimulus removal is contingent on a response,
resulting in the decrease of the future probability of that response.
Establishing Operations (EO) - Increases motivation for something and increases likelihood you will try
to access that reinforcer
Abolishing Operations (AO) - Decreases motivation for something and decreases likelihood you will try
to access that reinforcer
Discriminative Stimulus (SD) - A stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be
reinforced and in the absence of which that response will not be reinf
, Stimulus Control (Discriminative Control) - The tendency for the target behavior to occur in the
presence of the SD (b/c it was reinforced in the past)
Discrimination Training - Teach the child to respond to/tell the difference between two (or more) SDs.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT) - A specific method of teaching in which a task is isolated and taught across
multiple trials. A specific opportunity (antecedent) is presented and a specific response is expected. A
consequence follows the response.
Fluency-Based Training - Taking an existing skill and increasing accuracy and speed of skill performance
in order to develop competence
Errorless Learning - Involves early and immediate prompting of the target response so that the
learner's response is sure to be correct.
Most-to-Least Prompting - Fading from one type of prompt to another less intrusive prompt. Most
assistance to least assistance.
Least-to-Most Prompting - Staring with a least intrusive prompt possible and the client is not
successful, therefore having to move to more intrusive prompts until the client responds.
Chaining - A chain of sequence of SDs and responses where each response in the sequence (expect for
the last one) produces the SD for the next response in the sequence; A complex bx that is comprised of
many single responses that occur in a specific sequence
Forward Chaining - Begin with the first SD-Response component in the chain and then continue
forward though the remaining SD-Response components
Backward Chaining - Begin with the final step, or the last SD-Response component, then move
backwards towards the remaining components
