BCBA TERMS QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH SOLUTIONS 2024
lawfulness of behavior - ANSWER behavior is determined by specific conditions/variables
empiricism - ANSWER objective observation of the phenomena of interest based on thorough
description, systematic and repeated measurement and precise quantification of the phenomena of
interest.
experimental analysis - ANSWER manipulate IV to observe changes DV
parsimony - ANSWER all simple logical explanations for phenomenon under investigation must be ruled
out before more complex explanations are considered (choose the simplest explanation that requires the
fewest assumptions)
explain determinism as it relates to behavior analysis - ANSWER in behavior analysis there is an
assumption that behavior is lawfuland determined based upon specific conditions/variables
what is the difference between mentalistic and environmental explanations of behavior? - ANSWER
mentalistic is internal (thoughts feelings) environmental is external
what is experimental analysis of behavior? - ANSWER the field of scientific investigation concerned with
analysis of operant behavior
What is applied behavior analysis? - ANSWER science in which the tactics derived from the principles of
behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the
variables responsible for the improvement in the behavior
what are behavioral technologies? - ANSWER clearly defined operative procedures that may be
replicated by others based upon their descriptions
explain behavior in behavior analytic terms. - ANSWER A-B-C three term contingency
,Baer, Wolf & Risley 1968 - what are the dimensions of applied behavior analysis? - ANSWER Applied -
socially significant
Behavior- relevant (needs improvement), measureable, and whose behavior
Analytic - functional relationships exist - control
Behaviorism - ANSWER the philosophy of the science of behavior.
determinism - ANSWER the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all phenomena occur as the
result of other events
experiment - ANSWER carefully conducted comparison of some dependent variable under two or more
conditions in which only one independent variable at a time differs from conditions.
explanatory fiction - ANSWER a fictitious variable that often is simply another name for the observed
behavior that contributes nothing to an understanding of the variables responsible for developing or
maintaining the behavior.
functional relation - ANSWER specific change in one event can reliably be procedue by specific
manipulations of another event (as in functional analysis)
hypothetical construct - ANSWER presumed but unobserved entities that could not be manipulated in an
experiment
mentalism - ANSWER an approach to the study of behavior which assumes that a mental or inner
dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension.
methodological behaviorism - ANSWER a philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot
be publicly observed as outside the realm of science
philosophic doubt - ANSWER continued questioning of the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact
(maybe the world isn't flat) - willingness to set aside most cherished beliefts to replace them with new
knowledge.
,radical behaviorism - ANSWER a thoroughgoing for of behaviorism that attempts to understand all
human behavior, including private events such as thoughts or feelings, in terms of controlling variables in
the history of the person (ontogeny) and the species (phylogeny)
replication - ANSWER repeating of experiments (and/or repeating of independent variable conditions
within experiments)
science - ANSWER A systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world
- to achieve a thorough understanding of the phenomena under study
descriptive knowledge - ANSWER collection of facts about the observed events that can be quantified,
classified, and examined for possible relations. (as in basic observation)
prediction - ANSWER repeated observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other
(correlation) (as in repeated FBA observation)
control - ANSWER the highest level of scientific understanding with the existence of functional relations
respondent behavior - ANSWER reflexive behavior- involuntary behavior elicited immediately by a
stimulus (light constricts pupils)
operant behavior - ANSWER behavior that is influenced by stimulus changes that have occured in the
past
automaticity of reinforcement - ANSWER ...behavior is modified by it's consequences regardless of
whether the individual is aware she is being reinforced
aversive stimulus - ANSWER stimulus conditions whose termination function as reinforcement
behavior - ANSWER used in reference to a set of responses that share topographical dimensions or
functions - the activity of living organisms and the organism's interaction with the environment
, behavior change tactic - ANSWER a technologically consistent method for changing behavior that has
been derived from one or more basic principles of behavior
conditioned punisher - ANSWER stimulus events or conditions that are present or that occur just before
or simultaneous with the occurrence of other punishers
conditioned reflex - ANSWER the product of a respondent conditioning: stimulus stimulus pairing
procedure in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral
stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response
conditioned reinforcer - ANSWER stimulus that have been paired with other reinforcers
antecedent - ANSWER stuff that exist or occur prior to behavior of interest
conditioned stimulus - ANSWER in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after
association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response
consequence - ANSWER stimulus changes that follow a behavior of interest
contingency - ANSWER refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its
controlling variables
contingent - ANSWER reinforcement or punishment that is delivered only after the target behavior has
occurred
deprivation - ANSWER the state of an organism with respect to how much time has elapsed since it has
consumed or contacted a particular type of reinforcer. It also refers to a procedure used for increasing
the effectiveness of a reinforcer (withholding access for a specified period of time prior to a session)
discriminated operant - ANSWER a behavior that occurs more frequently under some antecedent
conditions than others
ANSWERS WITH SOLUTIONS 2024
lawfulness of behavior - ANSWER behavior is determined by specific conditions/variables
empiricism - ANSWER objective observation of the phenomena of interest based on thorough
description, systematic and repeated measurement and precise quantification of the phenomena of
interest.
experimental analysis - ANSWER manipulate IV to observe changes DV
parsimony - ANSWER all simple logical explanations for phenomenon under investigation must be ruled
out before more complex explanations are considered (choose the simplest explanation that requires the
fewest assumptions)
explain determinism as it relates to behavior analysis - ANSWER in behavior analysis there is an
assumption that behavior is lawfuland determined based upon specific conditions/variables
what is the difference between mentalistic and environmental explanations of behavior? - ANSWER
mentalistic is internal (thoughts feelings) environmental is external
what is experimental analysis of behavior? - ANSWER the field of scientific investigation concerned with
analysis of operant behavior
What is applied behavior analysis? - ANSWER science in which the tactics derived from the principles of
behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the
variables responsible for the improvement in the behavior
what are behavioral technologies? - ANSWER clearly defined operative procedures that may be
replicated by others based upon their descriptions
explain behavior in behavior analytic terms. - ANSWER A-B-C three term contingency
,Baer, Wolf & Risley 1968 - what are the dimensions of applied behavior analysis? - ANSWER Applied -
socially significant
Behavior- relevant (needs improvement), measureable, and whose behavior
Analytic - functional relationships exist - control
Behaviorism - ANSWER the philosophy of the science of behavior.
determinism - ANSWER the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all phenomena occur as the
result of other events
experiment - ANSWER carefully conducted comparison of some dependent variable under two or more
conditions in which only one independent variable at a time differs from conditions.
explanatory fiction - ANSWER a fictitious variable that often is simply another name for the observed
behavior that contributes nothing to an understanding of the variables responsible for developing or
maintaining the behavior.
functional relation - ANSWER specific change in one event can reliably be procedue by specific
manipulations of another event (as in functional analysis)
hypothetical construct - ANSWER presumed but unobserved entities that could not be manipulated in an
experiment
mentalism - ANSWER an approach to the study of behavior which assumes that a mental or inner
dimension exists that differs from a behavioral dimension.
methodological behaviorism - ANSWER a philosophical position that views behavioral events that cannot
be publicly observed as outside the realm of science
philosophic doubt - ANSWER continued questioning of the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact
(maybe the world isn't flat) - willingness to set aside most cherished beliefts to replace them with new
knowledge.
,radical behaviorism - ANSWER a thoroughgoing for of behaviorism that attempts to understand all
human behavior, including private events such as thoughts or feelings, in terms of controlling variables in
the history of the person (ontogeny) and the species (phylogeny)
replication - ANSWER repeating of experiments (and/or repeating of independent variable conditions
within experiments)
science - ANSWER A systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world
- to achieve a thorough understanding of the phenomena under study
descriptive knowledge - ANSWER collection of facts about the observed events that can be quantified,
classified, and examined for possible relations. (as in basic observation)
prediction - ANSWER repeated observations reveal that two events consistently covary with each other
(correlation) (as in repeated FBA observation)
control - ANSWER the highest level of scientific understanding with the existence of functional relations
respondent behavior - ANSWER reflexive behavior- involuntary behavior elicited immediately by a
stimulus (light constricts pupils)
operant behavior - ANSWER behavior that is influenced by stimulus changes that have occured in the
past
automaticity of reinforcement - ANSWER ...behavior is modified by it's consequences regardless of
whether the individual is aware she is being reinforced
aversive stimulus - ANSWER stimulus conditions whose termination function as reinforcement
behavior - ANSWER used in reference to a set of responses that share topographical dimensions or
functions - the activity of living organisms and the organism's interaction with the environment
, behavior change tactic - ANSWER a technologically consistent method for changing behavior that has
been derived from one or more basic principles of behavior
conditioned punisher - ANSWER stimulus events or conditions that are present or that occur just before
or simultaneous with the occurrence of other punishers
conditioned reflex - ANSWER the product of a respondent conditioning: stimulus stimulus pairing
procedure in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral
stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response
conditioned reinforcer - ANSWER stimulus that have been paired with other reinforcers
antecedent - ANSWER stuff that exist or occur prior to behavior of interest
conditioned stimulus - ANSWER in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after
association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response
consequence - ANSWER stimulus changes that follow a behavior of interest
contingency - ANSWER refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its
controlling variables
contingent - ANSWER reinforcement or punishment that is delivered only after the target behavior has
occurred
deprivation - ANSWER the state of an organism with respect to how much time has elapsed since it has
consumed or contacted a particular type of reinforcer. It also refers to a procedure used for increasing
the effectiveness of a reinforcer (withholding access for a specified period of time prior to a session)
discriminated operant - ANSWER a behavior that occurs more frequently under some antecedent
conditions than others
