QUALIFIED BEHAVIOUR ANALYST
ELABORATED QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Four-term contingency - CORRECT ANSWER-MO -
antecedent - behavior - consequence
Phylogenic history - CORRECT ANSWER-History of the
evolution of a species or group
Ontogenic history - CORRECT ANSWER-Developmental
history of an organism within it's own lifetime
Classical conditioning - CORRECT ANSWER-Conditioned
stimulus paired with previously neutral (unconditioned stimulus)
Example: Pavlov's Dogs
Stimulus control - CORRECT ANSWER-A situation in which the
frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is
altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus.
Discriminative Stimulus (SD) - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus
in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced
or punished. Example: You desire hot water to wash your
hands and turn on the hot tap.
,Stimulus delta (SΔ) - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus in the
presence of which a particular response will not be reinforced.
Example: You desire hot water to wash your hands, but turn on
the cold tap.
Characteristics of an effective SD - CORRECT ANSWER-
Precise
Stated (not asked)
Brief response time allowed
Consistent
Consistent consequences
Attention is gained before SD is given
Not repeated over and over
Generalization - CORRECT ANSWER-The tendency, once a
response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the
conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
Discrimination - CORRECT ANSWER-In classical conditioning,
the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus
and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
Response - CORRECT ANSWER-An action or change in
behavior that occurs as a result of a stimulus.
Motivational operation (M.O.) - CORRECT ANSWER-
Temporarily increases the effectiveness or values of a
reinforcer. Temporarily increases the behavior that has been
encouraged by that reinforcer in the past. Example: Being
hungry increases the value of food.
Abolishing operation (AO) - CORRECT ANSWER-A motivating
operation that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness of a
stimulus, object, or event. Example: Full stomach decreases
the value of food.
,Establishing operation (EO) - CORRECT ANSWER-A
motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of some
stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer. Example: food
deprivation makes food an effective reinforcer.
Abative effect (of a motivating operation) - CORRECT
ANSWER-A decrease in the current frequency of behavior that
has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in
reinforcing effectiveness by the same motivating operation.
Example: Food ingestion abates (decreases the current
frequency of) behavior that has been reinforced by food.
Evocative effect - CORRECT ANSWER-Increase in the current
frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by some
stimulus, object, or event. Example: Food deprivation evokes
(increases the frequency of) behavior that has been reinforced
by food.
Conditioned motivating operation (CMO) - CORRECT
ANSWER-Motivating operations that alter the reinforcing
effectiveness of other stimuli, objects or events only as a result
of learning.
Unconditioned motivating operation (UMO) - CORRECT
ANSWER-A motivating operation whose value-altering effect
does not depend on a learning history. Example: Food
deprivation increases the reinforcing effectiveness of food
without the necessity of any learning history.
Positive reinforcement - CORRECT ANSWER-Increasing
behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A
positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a
response, strengthens the response.
Add pleasant stimulus to increase/maintain behavior
, Negative reinforcement - CORRECT ANSWER-Increasing
behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as
shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when
removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note:
negative reinforcement is not punishment.)
Remove aversive stimulus to increase/maintain behavior
Positive punishment - CORRECT ANSWER-The administration
of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's
recurring.
Add aversive stimulus to decrease behavior
Negative punishment - CORRECT ANSWER-The removal of a
stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's recurring.
Remove pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior
Matching Law - CORRECT ANSWER-The principle that the
proportion of responses emitted on a particular schedule
matches the proportion of reinforcers obtained on that
schedule. Eg: Rate of responding influences rate of reward.
Primary reinforcer - CORRECT ANSWER-Stimulus that is
naturally rewarding, such as food or water
Secondary reinforcer (conditioned reinforcer) - CORRECT
ANSWER-Any reinforcer that becomes reinforcing after being
paired with a primary reinforcer, such as praise, tokens, or gold
stars
Primary punisher - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus that is
inherently punishing, such as electric shock.
Secondary punisher (conditioned punisher) - CORRECT
ANSWER-A stimulus that has acquired punishing properties
ELABORATED QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Four-term contingency - CORRECT ANSWER-MO -
antecedent - behavior - consequence
Phylogenic history - CORRECT ANSWER-History of the
evolution of a species or group
Ontogenic history - CORRECT ANSWER-Developmental
history of an organism within it's own lifetime
Classical conditioning - CORRECT ANSWER-Conditioned
stimulus paired with previously neutral (unconditioned stimulus)
Example: Pavlov's Dogs
Stimulus control - CORRECT ANSWER-A situation in which the
frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is
altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus.
Discriminative Stimulus (SD) - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus
in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced
or punished. Example: You desire hot water to wash your
hands and turn on the hot tap.
,Stimulus delta (SΔ) - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus in the
presence of which a particular response will not be reinforced.
Example: You desire hot water to wash your hands, but turn on
the cold tap.
Characteristics of an effective SD - CORRECT ANSWER-
Precise
Stated (not asked)
Brief response time allowed
Consistent
Consistent consequences
Attention is gained before SD is given
Not repeated over and over
Generalization - CORRECT ANSWER-The tendency, once a
response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the
conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
Discrimination - CORRECT ANSWER-In classical conditioning,
the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus
and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
Response - CORRECT ANSWER-An action or change in
behavior that occurs as a result of a stimulus.
Motivational operation (M.O.) - CORRECT ANSWER-
Temporarily increases the effectiveness or values of a
reinforcer. Temporarily increases the behavior that has been
encouraged by that reinforcer in the past. Example: Being
hungry increases the value of food.
Abolishing operation (AO) - CORRECT ANSWER-A motivating
operation that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness of a
stimulus, object, or event. Example: Full stomach decreases
the value of food.
,Establishing operation (EO) - CORRECT ANSWER-A
motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of some
stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer. Example: food
deprivation makes food an effective reinforcer.
Abative effect (of a motivating operation) - CORRECT
ANSWER-A decrease in the current frequency of behavior that
has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in
reinforcing effectiveness by the same motivating operation.
Example: Food ingestion abates (decreases the current
frequency of) behavior that has been reinforced by food.
Evocative effect - CORRECT ANSWER-Increase in the current
frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by some
stimulus, object, or event. Example: Food deprivation evokes
(increases the frequency of) behavior that has been reinforced
by food.
Conditioned motivating operation (CMO) - CORRECT
ANSWER-Motivating operations that alter the reinforcing
effectiveness of other stimuli, objects or events only as a result
of learning.
Unconditioned motivating operation (UMO) - CORRECT
ANSWER-A motivating operation whose value-altering effect
does not depend on a learning history. Example: Food
deprivation increases the reinforcing effectiveness of food
without the necessity of any learning history.
Positive reinforcement - CORRECT ANSWER-Increasing
behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A
positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a
response, strengthens the response.
Add pleasant stimulus to increase/maintain behavior
, Negative reinforcement - CORRECT ANSWER-Increasing
behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as
shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when
removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note:
negative reinforcement is not punishment.)
Remove aversive stimulus to increase/maintain behavior
Positive punishment - CORRECT ANSWER-The administration
of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's
recurring.
Add aversive stimulus to decrease behavior
Negative punishment - CORRECT ANSWER-The removal of a
stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior's recurring.
Remove pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior
Matching Law - CORRECT ANSWER-The principle that the
proportion of responses emitted on a particular schedule
matches the proportion of reinforcers obtained on that
schedule. Eg: Rate of responding influences rate of reward.
Primary reinforcer - CORRECT ANSWER-Stimulus that is
naturally rewarding, such as food or water
Secondary reinforcer (conditioned reinforcer) - CORRECT
ANSWER-Any reinforcer that becomes reinforcing after being
paired with a primary reinforcer, such as praise, tokens, or gold
stars
Primary punisher - CORRECT ANSWER-A stimulus that is
inherently punishing, such as electric shock.
Secondary punisher (conditioned punisher) - CORRECT
ANSWER-A stimulus that has acquired punishing properties
