BCBA EXAM PRACTICE QUESTION AND ANSWERS.

BCBA EXAM PRACTICE QUESTION AND ANSWERS. Dependent Group Contingency - CORRECT ANSWER-The group's reinforce is dependent on the behavior of an individual or small group of individuals. Independent Group Contingency - CORRECT ANSWER-All members of a group are offered a contingency, but only the individuals who meet the contingency earn the reinforcement. Interdependent Group Contingency - CORRECT ANSWER-In order for the group to earn reinforcement, all of the individuals in a group must meet the criterion of the established contingency. Response Prompts - CORRECT ANSWER-Act on the response itself, NOT on the antecedent stimuli (e.g. verbal, model, physical prompt). Stimulus Prompts - CORRECT ANSWER-Act on the antecedent stimuli, NOT on the response (e.g. movement, position, redundancy). Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI) - CORRECT ANSWER-A procedure in which behavior cannot be emitted simultaneously with the challenging behavior (e.g. the behavior being reinforced and the behavior on extinction cannot occur at the same time). Differential Reinforcement of Alternate Behavior (DRA) - CORRECT ANSWER-A procedure in which one reinforces occurrence of behavior that provides a desirable alternative to the problem behavior; alternate and challenging behavior are not incompatible. Differential Negative Reinforcement of Incompatible/Alternate Behavior (DNRI/DNRA) - CORRECT ANSWER-Terms used to refer to differential reinforcement procedures that specifically involve escape as the reinforcer. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO) - CORRECT ANSWER-A procedure in which reinforcement is contingent on the absence of the challenging behavior. Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Responding (DRH) - CORRECT ANSWER-A schedule of reinforcement that provides reinforcement for emitting behaviors that are at or above a pre-established rate; helps to increase behaviors that are too infrequent. Differential Reinforcement of Diminishing Rates of Responding (DRD) - CORRECT ANSWER-A schedule of reinforcement that provides reinforcement when the number of responses in a specified time period is less than, or equal to, a prescribed limit; helps to decrease behaviors that occur too frequently, but not eliminate it entirely. Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL) - CORRECT ANSWER-A schedule of reinforcement that provides reinforcement only if the behavior occurs following a specific period of time during which it did not occur or since the last time it occurred; by increasing IRT, you are lowering rate of responding. 7 dimensions of ABA- Behavioral - CORRECT ANSWER-Observable events. 7 dimensions of ABA- Applied - CORRECT ANSWER-Improves socially significant behaviors. 7 dimensions of ABA- Technological - CORRECT ANSWER-Defines procedures clearly and in detail so they are replicable. 7 dimensions of ABA- Conceptually Systematic - CORRECT ANSWER-All procedures used should be tied to the basic principles of behavior analysis from which they were derived. 7 dimensions of ABA- Analytic - CORRECT ANSWER-A functional relationship is demonstrated. 7 dimensions of ABA- Generality - CORRECT ANSWER-Extends behavior change across time, settings, or other behaviors. 7 dimensions of ABA- Effective - CORRECT ANSWER-Improves behavior in a practical manner, not simply making a change that is statistically significant. Mentalism - CORRECT ANSWER-Approach to explaining behavior that assumes an inner dimension exists and causes behavior (Freud) Hypothetical Constructs - CORRECT ANSWER-Presumed, but unobserved, entities (e.g. free will) Explanatory Fictions - CORRECT ANSWER-Fictitious variables that are another name for the observed behavior; contribute nothing to an understanding of the variables responsible for maintaining behavior (e.g. "knows", "wants"). Circular Responding - CORRECT ANSWER-The cause and effect are both inferred from the same information (e.g. he cried because he felt sad). Behaviorism - CORRECT ANSWER-The philosophy of the science of behavior; environmental (not mentalistic) explanation of behavior. 4 branches of behavior analysis - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Conceptual analysis of behavior (behaviorism): examines philosophical, theoretical, historical, and methodological issues. 2. ABA: technology for improving behavior. 3. Behavior service delivery: professional practice, consultation, etc. 4. Experimental analysis of behavior: research on basic processes and principles; labs. Respondent Behavior - CORRECT ANSWER-Elicited by stimuli that immediately precede them; involuntary; reflex. Respondent Conditioning - CORRECT ANSWER-When new stimuli acquire the ability to elicit respondents Operant Behavior - CORRECT ANSWER-Any behavior whose probability of occurrence is determined by its history of consequences; voluntary action; function. Ontogenic - CORRECT ANSWER-Learning that results from an organism's interaction with his environment (operant behavior is due to ------ history). Contiguity - CORRECT ANSWER-When 2 stimuli occur close together in time, resulting in an association of those 2 stimuli (e.g. how superstition is developed) Stimulus Equivalence- Reflexivity - CORRECT ANSWER-Simple non-symbolic match to sample (A=A). Stimulus Equivalence- Symmetry - CORRECT ANSWER-Occurs with reversibility of the sample stimulus and the comparison stimulus (A=B). Stimulus Equivalence- Transitivity - CORRECT ANSWER-Requires demonstration of 3 untrained stimulus-stimulus sequences (A=B, B=C, A=C). Surrogate MO - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus that has acquired its effectiveness by accompanying some other MO and has come to have the same value-altering and behavior-altering effect as the MO that is has accompanied; pairing process required. Example: clock and food deprivation. Reflexive MO - CORRECT ANSWER-Conditions or objects that acquire their effectiveness as MO's by preceding a situation that either is worsening or improving (e.g. signal that aversive events coming soon) Transitive MO - CORRECT ANSWER-An environmental variable that establishes (or abolishes) the reinforcing effectiveness of another stimulus and thereby evokes (or abates) the behavior that has been reinforced by that other stimulus; establishes the reinforcing value of a second stimulus change (e.g. getting the right tool or the correct amount of money). Response Class - CORRECT ANSWER-Group of behaviors that comprise an operant (have the same function). Stimulus Class - CORRECT ANSWER-Group of antecedent stimuli that have a common effect on an operant class. Stimulus Generalization - CORRECT ANSWER-Individual responds to something in the same way that resembles the original thing from which they learned (e.g. seeing an animal with a tail and saying, "kitty"). Response Generalization - CORRECT ANSWER-The effects of intervention are expanded from a target response to a similar non-targeted behavior; the form of the response/behavior changes. 7 strategies to promote generalization- Common Stimuli - CORRECT ANSWER-Programming common stimuli by ensuring that same sDs exist in both the instructional and generalization setting. 7 strategies to promote generalization- Loosely Train - CORRECT ANSWER-Noncritical elements of the teaching setting are altered in arbitrary ways (e.g. therapy in different settings). 7 strategies to promote generalization- Multiple Exemplars - CORRECT ANSWER-Providing opportunities to correctly respond to multiple examples of antecedent stimuli. 7 strategies to promote generalization- Mediation - CORRECT ANSWER-instruct others who will help maintain and generalize new behaviors. 7 strategies to promote generalization- Indiscriminable Contingencies - CORRECT ANSWER-The learner is unable to discriminate when his/her responses will be reinforced. 7 strategies to promote generalization- Negative Teaching Examples - CORRECT ANSWER-Teaching settings/times/conditions when it is not appropriate to display a certain behavior. 7 strategies to promote generalization- General Case Analysis - CORRECT ANSWER-Teaching all the different stimulus variations and response variations the individual may encounter in the post-intervention environment. Matching Law - CORRECT ANSWER-Given 2 concurrently available reinforcers, he will choose to engage in the behavior that has the highest rate of reinforcement. Habilitation - CORRECT ANSWER-Assesses meaningfulness of change. It occurs when a persons repertoire has been changed such that short & long term reinforcers are maximized & short & long term punishers are minimized. Generative Learning - CORRECT ANSWER-Enhancing comprehension of new material due to previous learning; ensuring fluency. Stimulus Preference Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER-Identifies stimuli that are likely to function as reinforcers; preference value (high vs. low). Reinforcer Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER-Used to determine the relative effects of a given stimulus as reinforcement under different and changing conditions; assess the comparative effectiveness of multiple stimuli as reinforcers for a particular behavior under certain conditions. Experimental Control - CORRECT ANSWER-When a predictable change in behavior (DV) can be reliably produced by the systematic manipulation of some aspect of the individuals environment (IV). 6 components of experiments in ABA - CORRECT ANSWER-1. At least one subject 2. At least one behavior (DV) 3. At least one setting 4. At least one treatment (IV) 5. A measurement system and ongoing analysis of behavior 6. An experimental design Internal Validity - CORRECT ANSWER-The extent that an experiment shows that changes in behavior are a function of the IV and not the result of uncontrolled variables; high ------ designs showing strong experimental control. External Validity - CORRECT ANSWER-Degree to which a study's results are generalizable to other subjects/settings/behaviors; replication establishes -------- Treatment Integrity - CORRECT ANSWER-Extent to which the IV is implemented and carried out as planned. 5 main experimental designs - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Multiple baseline 2. Changing criterion 3. Alternating treatment 4. Reversal 5. Withdrawal 3 dimensional quantities - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Repeatability: count, rate/frequency, celeration 2. Temporal Extent: duration 3. Temporal Locus: point in time; response latency, inter-response time 3 forms of time sampling - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Whole interval: record whether the behavior occurred throughout the interval (underestimates rate of behavior); increase behavior 2. Partial interval: record whether the behavior occurred at any time during the interval (overestimates the rate of behavior); decrease behavior 3. Momentary time sampling: at the end of the interval, record whether the behavior occurred at the end of that interval only Validity - CORRECT ANSWER-Directly measuring socially significant target behavior; data that are directly relevant to the phenomena measured and to the reasons for measuring it. Accuracy - CORRECT ANSWER-The extent to which the observed value matches the true value of an event. Reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-Same results repeatedly. 5 types of ABA graphs - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Line graph: based on Cartesian Plane; most common in ABA; each point shows the level of some quantifiable dimension of the DV in relation to the IV in effect when the data was recorded. 2. Bar Graph: cased on Cartesian Plane; used to display separate sets of data that are not related to one another. 3. Cumulative Records: developed by Skinner; add responses during each observation period to the total number of all previously recorded responses. 4. Semilogarithmic Charts: looks at behavior change through proportional or relative change; one axis is scaled proportionally. 5. Standard Celeration Chart: type of semilogarithmic chart; created by Lindsley; provides standardized means of charting and analyzing how frequency of behavior changes over time. 3 fundamental properties of behavior change - CORRECT ANSWER-1. Level: when the data's average value changes 2. Trend: general direction and rate of increase or decrease in which data move over time 3. Variability: extent to which data "bounce around" on the graph Premack Principle - CORRECT ANSWER-Making the opportunity to engage in a high-p behavior contingent upon the occurrence of low-p behavior will function as a reinforcer for the low-p behavior; first/then