BCBA exam questions with complete
solutions69
Jesse's teacher says that he keeps acting out in class. The teacher approaches the behavior
analyst and explains that Jesse's behavior is likely the result of his diet, that he eats way too
much sugar and processed foods, causing problem behaviors. As a behavior analyst, which
attitude of science must be considered in this scenario?
A)Parsimony.B)Philosophic doubt.C)Empiricism.D)Determinism - ANSWERS-A. Parsimony means
that the simplest, most logical explanations must be ruled out before more complex
explanations are considered. In this example, the teacher should rule out other variables that
could be responsible for the problem behavior before making the assumption that something
more complex is responsible for controlling the behavior. "Philosophic doubt" is continually
questioning the truthfulness of scientific knowledge. "Determinism" is the assumption that the
universe is lawful and orderly. "Empiricism" is the objective observation of the phenomena of
interest.
Louis is designing an intervention for his client. He makes sure that the techniques making up
the intervention are completely identified and described, so that other ABA practitioners may
replicate his intervention. Which dimension of behavior analysis (according to Baer, Wolf, &
Risley, 1968) is described in this scenario? A)GeneralityB)EffectiveC)BehavioralD)Technological -
ANSWERS-D. The technological dimension of ABA means that the techniques making up a
particular behavioral application are completely identified and described. This means that
behavior analysts should write their interventions clearly and concisely so that other ABA
practitioners can replicate their intervention.
This approach to psychology restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and
dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe:
A)Radical Behaviorism B)Experimental Analysis of BehaviorC)Applied Behavior
AnalysisD)Methodological Behaviorism - ANSWERS-D. Methodological behaviorism is the
approach to psychology restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and
dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe. Radical behaviorism is
incorrect because it includes thoughts and feelings (methodological behaviorism does not).
,Applied behavior analysis is the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior
are systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to
identify the variables responsible for behavior change. Experimental analysis of behavior
focuses on analyzing the basic principles that explain behavior.
This philosophical assumption of science states that scientific knowledge is built on the practice
of objective observation of the phenomena of interest:
A)Parsimony.B)Empiricism.C)Selectionism.D)Determinism. - ANSWERS-B. Empiricism means that
we observe behaviors objectively and do not make any assumptions about why the behavior is
occurring. "Determinism" is incorrect because it is the general assumption that the entire
universe is orderly and that all phenomena occur as the result of some other event.
"Parsimony" is using the simplest and most logical explanations to explain why a behavior is
occurring. "Selectionism" is incorrect because it is the philosophical assumption that all
behavior, in all living organisms, is the result of an interaction with the environment.
Which explanation of behavior would most likely be made by a radical behavior analyst?
A)Jimmy gets frustrated when the other children don't play with him.B)Jimmy runs around the
classroom because he eats too much sugar at breakfast time. C)Jimmy enjoys reading over math
because he engages in fewer problem behaviors during reading time. D)Jimmy's environment
does not provide enough reinforcement and he engages in the problem behavior to receive
attention. - ANSWERS-D. This is the most correct choice for the explanation of behavior from
the perspective of a radical behavior analyst.
Jerry is a behavior analyst who is a veteran in the field of ABA. He has been using a procedure to
teach his clients how to wash their hands for the past 20 years. Mallory is a recently certified
behavior analyst who discovered a more beneficial way to teach clients how to wash their
hands. Even though Jerry has been using the same method to teach hand washing for the past
20 years, he starts using Mallory's strategy instead because the data show it is more effective.
What attitude of science does this describe?
A)DeterminismB)ParsimonyC)EmpiricismD)Philosophic doubt - ANSWERS-D. Philosophic doubt
means that scientists are willing to set aside their beliefs and strategies when an experiment
scientifically proves that a better strategy is available. "Determinism" is incorrect since this
refers to the belief that behavior is lawful and will remain unchanged if nothing in the
environment changes. "Parsimony" is incorrect since this means that scientists explain
,phenomena with the easiest explanation available. "Empiricism" is incorrect since this refers to
the idea that scientists should remain unbiased and objective during experiments.
Which explanation of behavior would a behavior analyst most likely use to describe why a
student is physically aggressive towards his teacher?
A)"He hits his teacher because he likes getting out of math assignments."B)"He hits his teacher
because in the past it has resulted in him not having to complete his math assignment."C)"He
hits his teacher because he is diagnosed with dyslexia which makes math more difficult for him
compared to his typically-developing peers."D)"He hits his teacher because he knows he will get
out of having to do his math assignment." - ANSWERS-B. This is the least mentalistic of all the
answer choices. "He knows" and "He likes" are mentalistic terms. Blaming it on an inner-identity
or diagnosis involves circular reasoning and is mentalistic.
A behavior analyst is writing a treatment program for a client to learn how to use a city bus
route. This particular client, however, lives in a rural area with limited access to the city busses.
Which dimension of applied behavior analysis did the analyst fail to consider?
A)AppliedB)GeneralityC)Technological D)Conceptual Systems - ANSWERS-A. Because this client
lives in a rural area with limited access to the city bus route, teaching the client to ride the bus
will have little impact on their life. The "Effective" dimension of ABA means that procedures
developed by behavior analysts must aim to cause a meaningful effect in the client's life.
This approach to psychology considers private events as behavior:
A)Mentalism.B)Pragmatism. C)Methodological Behaviorism.D)Radical Behaviorism. - ANSWERS-
D. Radical Behaviorism is an approach to psychology that addresses everything in terms of the
principles of behavior (including private events). This differs from methodological behaviorists
that do not consider private events or feelings to be behavior.
Lexi says, "It never fails. Whenever there is a full moon, people start acting weird." However,
Lexi has no data to support her theory. Which scientific analysis is Lexi using?
A)A Descriptive AnalysisB)A Hypothetical AnalysisC)An Experimental AnalysisD)A Correlational
Analysis - ANSWERS-B. A hypothetical analysis is simply assuming that two things go together,
without taking any data or manipulating any variables. Lexi did not take data on the full moon or
, "weird behavior" and did not manipulate these variables. "Experimental analysis" is incorrect
since this would require manipulating the environment and recording the behavior.
"Correlation(al) analysis" and "descriptive analysis" are incorrect since they would involve
recording the behavior as well.
Which dimension of applied behavior analysis means that interventions should demonstrate
experimental control over the behavior?
A)AnalyticB)EffectiveC)Conceptually SystematicD)Technological - ANSWERS-A. The analytic
dimension of applied behavior analysis means that interventions should demonstrate
experimental control over the behavior (in other words, the intervention is the cause of the
behavior change).
A methodological behaviorist would not consider which of the following events a behavior?
A)Mary slaps Kelly on the face.B)Kelly avoids Mary because she is scared.C)Mary follows Kelly
around at recess.D)Kelly tells the teacher about Mary's behavior. - ANSWERS-B. Methodological
behaviorists do not consider private events as behaviors. The other examples, "Mary follows
Kelly around at recess," "Kelly tells the teacher about Mary's behavior," and, "Mary slaps Kelly
on the face," are examples of public events that methodological behaviorists would consider a
behavior.
Which of the following is considered a private event?
A)Sore muscles after an intense workoutB)Practicing your solo for a choir concertC)Texting your
friend about lunch plansD)Taking your dog outside in the backyard - ANSWERS-A. This is an
example of a private event. The other examples, "practicing your solo for a choir concert,"
"texting your friend about lunch plans," and "taking your dog outside in the backyard," are not
considered private events.
All of the following are levels of scientific study, except:
A)DescriptionB)PredictionC)Radical BehaviorismD)Control - ANSWERS-C. The three levels of
scientific study are: description, prediction, and control. Radical behaviorism is an approach to
psychology that address all psychology in terms of the principles of behavior (including thoughts
and feelings).
solutions69
Jesse's teacher says that he keeps acting out in class. The teacher approaches the behavior
analyst and explains that Jesse's behavior is likely the result of his diet, that he eats way too
much sugar and processed foods, causing problem behaviors. As a behavior analyst, which
attitude of science must be considered in this scenario?
A)Parsimony.B)Philosophic doubt.C)Empiricism.D)Determinism - ANSWERS-A. Parsimony means
that the simplest, most logical explanations must be ruled out before more complex
explanations are considered. In this example, the teacher should rule out other variables that
could be responsible for the problem behavior before making the assumption that something
more complex is responsible for controlling the behavior. "Philosophic doubt" is continually
questioning the truthfulness of scientific knowledge. "Determinism" is the assumption that the
universe is lawful and orderly. "Empiricism" is the objective observation of the phenomena of
interest.
Louis is designing an intervention for his client. He makes sure that the techniques making up
the intervention are completely identified and described, so that other ABA practitioners may
replicate his intervention. Which dimension of behavior analysis (according to Baer, Wolf, &
Risley, 1968) is described in this scenario? A)GeneralityB)EffectiveC)BehavioralD)Technological -
ANSWERS-D. The technological dimension of ABA means that the techniques making up a
particular behavioral application are completely identified and described. This means that
behavior analysts should write their interventions clearly and concisely so that other ABA
practitioners can replicate their intervention.
This approach to psychology restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and
dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe:
A)Radical Behaviorism B)Experimental Analysis of BehaviorC)Applied Behavior
AnalysisD)Methodological Behaviorism - ANSWERS-D. Methodological behaviorism is the
approach to psychology restricts the science of psychology to only those independent and
dependent variables that two independent people can directly observe. Radical behaviorism is
incorrect because it includes thoughts and feelings (methodological behaviorism does not).
,Applied behavior analysis is the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior
are systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to
identify the variables responsible for behavior change. Experimental analysis of behavior
focuses on analyzing the basic principles that explain behavior.
This philosophical assumption of science states that scientific knowledge is built on the practice
of objective observation of the phenomena of interest:
A)Parsimony.B)Empiricism.C)Selectionism.D)Determinism. - ANSWERS-B. Empiricism means that
we observe behaviors objectively and do not make any assumptions about why the behavior is
occurring. "Determinism" is incorrect because it is the general assumption that the entire
universe is orderly and that all phenomena occur as the result of some other event.
"Parsimony" is using the simplest and most logical explanations to explain why a behavior is
occurring. "Selectionism" is incorrect because it is the philosophical assumption that all
behavior, in all living organisms, is the result of an interaction with the environment.
Which explanation of behavior would most likely be made by a radical behavior analyst?
A)Jimmy gets frustrated when the other children don't play with him.B)Jimmy runs around the
classroom because he eats too much sugar at breakfast time. C)Jimmy enjoys reading over math
because he engages in fewer problem behaviors during reading time. D)Jimmy's environment
does not provide enough reinforcement and he engages in the problem behavior to receive
attention. - ANSWERS-D. This is the most correct choice for the explanation of behavior from
the perspective of a radical behavior analyst.
Jerry is a behavior analyst who is a veteran in the field of ABA. He has been using a procedure to
teach his clients how to wash their hands for the past 20 years. Mallory is a recently certified
behavior analyst who discovered a more beneficial way to teach clients how to wash their
hands. Even though Jerry has been using the same method to teach hand washing for the past
20 years, he starts using Mallory's strategy instead because the data show it is more effective.
What attitude of science does this describe?
A)DeterminismB)ParsimonyC)EmpiricismD)Philosophic doubt - ANSWERS-D. Philosophic doubt
means that scientists are willing to set aside their beliefs and strategies when an experiment
scientifically proves that a better strategy is available. "Determinism" is incorrect since this
refers to the belief that behavior is lawful and will remain unchanged if nothing in the
environment changes. "Parsimony" is incorrect since this means that scientists explain
,phenomena with the easiest explanation available. "Empiricism" is incorrect since this refers to
the idea that scientists should remain unbiased and objective during experiments.
Which explanation of behavior would a behavior analyst most likely use to describe why a
student is physically aggressive towards his teacher?
A)"He hits his teacher because he likes getting out of math assignments."B)"He hits his teacher
because in the past it has resulted in him not having to complete his math assignment."C)"He
hits his teacher because he is diagnosed with dyslexia which makes math more difficult for him
compared to his typically-developing peers."D)"He hits his teacher because he knows he will get
out of having to do his math assignment." - ANSWERS-B. This is the least mentalistic of all the
answer choices. "He knows" and "He likes" are mentalistic terms. Blaming it on an inner-identity
or diagnosis involves circular reasoning and is mentalistic.
A behavior analyst is writing a treatment program for a client to learn how to use a city bus
route. This particular client, however, lives in a rural area with limited access to the city busses.
Which dimension of applied behavior analysis did the analyst fail to consider?
A)AppliedB)GeneralityC)Technological D)Conceptual Systems - ANSWERS-A. Because this client
lives in a rural area with limited access to the city bus route, teaching the client to ride the bus
will have little impact on their life. The "Effective" dimension of ABA means that procedures
developed by behavior analysts must aim to cause a meaningful effect in the client's life.
This approach to psychology considers private events as behavior:
A)Mentalism.B)Pragmatism. C)Methodological Behaviorism.D)Radical Behaviorism. - ANSWERS-
D. Radical Behaviorism is an approach to psychology that addresses everything in terms of the
principles of behavior (including private events). This differs from methodological behaviorists
that do not consider private events or feelings to be behavior.
Lexi says, "It never fails. Whenever there is a full moon, people start acting weird." However,
Lexi has no data to support her theory. Which scientific analysis is Lexi using?
A)A Descriptive AnalysisB)A Hypothetical AnalysisC)An Experimental AnalysisD)A Correlational
Analysis - ANSWERS-B. A hypothetical analysis is simply assuming that two things go together,
without taking any data or manipulating any variables. Lexi did not take data on the full moon or
, "weird behavior" and did not manipulate these variables. "Experimental analysis" is incorrect
since this would require manipulating the environment and recording the behavior.
"Correlation(al) analysis" and "descriptive analysis" are incorrect since they would involve
recording the behavior as well.
Which dimension of applied behavior analysis means that interventions should demonstrate
experimental control over the behavior?
A)AnalyticB)EffectiveC)Conceptually SystematicD)Technological - ANSWERS-A. The analytic
dimension of applied behavior analysis means that interventions should demonstrate
experimental control over the behavior (in other words, the intervention is the cause of the
behavior change).
A methodological behaviorist would not consider which of the following events a behavior?
A)Mary slaps Kelly on the face.B)Kelly avoids Mary because she is scared.C)Mary follows Kelly
around at recess.D)Kelly tells the teacher about Mary's behavior. - ANSWERS-B. Methodological
behaviorists do not consider private events as behaviors. The other examples, "Mary follows
Kelly around at recess," "Kelly tells the teacher about Mary's behavior," and, "Mary slaps Kelly
on the face," are examples of public events that methodological behaviorists would consider a
behavior.
Which of the following is considered a private event?
A)Sore muscles after an intense workoutB)Practicing your solo for a choir concertC)Texting your
friend about lunch plansD)Taking your dog outside in the backyard - ANSWERS-A. This is an
example of a private event. The other examples, "practicing your solo for a choir concert,"
"texting your friend about lunch plans," and "taking your dog outside in the backyard," are not
considered private events.
All of the following are levels of scientific study, except:
A)DescriptionB)PredictionC)Radical BehaviorismD)Control - ANSWERS-C. The three levels of
scientific study are: description, prediction, and control. Radical behaviorism is an approach to
psychology that address all psychology in terms of the principles of behavior (including thoughts
and feelings).
