EDF 6226 EXAM 2 ACTUAL EXAM 52 QUESTION AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES LATEST .2026/2027 FREQUENTLY TESTED Q&A FROM PAST PAPERS – MOST EXPECTED QUESTIONS FOR THE EXAM – MUST KNOW BEFORE THE EXAM.

EDF 6226 EXAM 2 ACTUAL EXAM 52 QUESTION AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES LATEST 2024-
2026 .
QUESTION
According to Hanley, there are three main types of assessment: [indirect],
[descriptive], and functional analysis.

CORRECT ANS: Indirect, descriptive

Expert Rationale
In the functional assessment literature, particularly as articulated by Hanley and
colleagues, the three primary categories of assessment are indirect, descriptive,
and functional analysis. Indirect assessments involve interviews, rating scales, and
questionnaires that rely on the recollection of others. Descriptive assessments
involve direct observation of the behavior in its natural environment without
experimental manipulation. Functional analysis is the only category that involves
systematic manipulation of environmental variables to identify the function of
behavior, thereby establishing cause-and-effect relationships.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remember (Knowledge) TOP: Functional Assessment MSC:
N/A




QUESTION
One problem with indirect assessments is that the analyst never even ____________
the behavior.

CORRECT ANS: observe

,Expert Rationale
Indirect assessments, such as interviews and rating scales, rely on the reports of
others (e.g., parents, teachers, caregivers) to describe the behavior and its context.
A significant limitation is that the analyst does not directly observe the behavior in
question. This reliance on second-hand information can lead to inaccuracies due
to memory bias, subjective interpretation, or the respondent's limited
understanding of behavioral principles. Direct observation is a cornerstone of
applied behavior analysis, and indirect assessments should be used primarily as a
starting point for hypothesis generation.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) TOP: Functional Assessment
MSC: N/A




QUESTION
Hanley suggested the first step to a functional analysis is to ____________ the
stakeholders - avoiding numerical or yes/no responses.

CORRECT ANS: Interview

Expert Rationale
Hanley's approach to functional assessment emphasizes the importance of an
open-ended interview with stakeholders (e.g., parents, teachers, caregivers) as the
initial step. This interview is designed to gather rich, qualitative information about
the behavior, its antecedents, and its consequences. Avoiding numerical or yes/no
responses encourages stakeholders to provide detailed, narrative descriptions
that can reveal the context and potential maintaining variables of the problem
behavior. This information is then used to design a hypothesis-driven functional
analysis.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) TOP: Functional Assessment MSC: N/A

,QUESTION
According to Hanley, a myth of the functional analysis is that it takes too long;
however, he indicated that the ____________ assessment often takes longer because
the practitioner must wait around for the problem behavior to occur.

CORRECT ANS: descriptive

Expert Rationale
A common misconception about functional analysis is that it is a lengthy and
time-consuming process. Hanley argues that descriptive assessments, which
involve observing behavior in the natural environment without manipulation, can
actually take significantly longer. This is because the practitioner must wait for the
problem behavior to occur spontaneously, which may happen infrequently. In
contrast, a functional analysis, by design, creates conditions that are more likely to
evoke the behavior, allowing for more efficient data collection and identification
of the function.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension) TOP: Functional Assessment
MSC: N/A




QUESTION
In an FA, if the condition is "contingent attention", the consequence delivered
should be_____________.

CORRECT ANS: attention

Expert Rationale
In a functional analysis, the "contingent attention" condition is designed to test

, whether the problem behavior is maintained by social positive reinforcement in
the form of attention. During this condition, each occurrence of the problem
behavior is followed by the delivery of attention (e.g., verbal reprimand,
concerned statements) from the therapist. If the behavior increases in this
condition compared to a control condition, it suggests that attention is a
reinforcer maintaining the behavior.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application) TOP: Functional Analysis MSC: N/A




QUESTION
Because different behaviors that look quite different can serve the same function,
and behavior of the same form can serve different functions under different
conditions, the ____________ of a behavior often reveals little useful information
about the condition.

CORRECT ANS: topography

Expert Rationale
Topography refers to the physical form or shape of a behavior (e.g., hitting,
screaming, crying). Relying solely on topography to determine the function of a
behavior is problematic because behaviors with different topographies can serve
the same function (e.g., both hitting and crying may be maintained by attention),
and behaviors with the same topography can serve different functions in different
contexts (e.g., crying may be maintained by attention in one situation and escape
in another). Therefore, analyzing the function requires a functional assessment
that examines the environmental variables maintaining the behavior, not just its
physical characteristics.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyze (Analysis) TOP: Functional Assessment MSC: N/A