BCBA EXAM COOPER DEFINITIONS,
BCBA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2024
A-B design - ANSWER A two-phase experimental design consisting of a pre-treatment baseline condition
followed by a treatment condition.
A-B-A design - ANSWER A three-phase experimental design consisting of an initial baseline phase until
steady state responding (or counter-therapeutic trend) is obtained, an intervention phase in which the
treatment condition is implemented until the behavior has changed and steady state responding is
obtained, and a return to baseline conditions by withdrawing the independent variable to see whether
responding "reverses" to levels observed in the initial baseline phase.
Reversal/Withdrawl Design (A-B-A-B design) - ANSWER An experimental design consisting of an initial
baseline phase until steady state responding (or counter-therapeutic trend) is obtained; an initial
intervention phase in which the treatment variable is implemented until the behavior has changed and
steady state responding is obtained; a return to baseline conditions by withdrawing the independent
variable to see whether responding "reverses" to levels observed in the initial baseline phase; a second
intervention phase to see whether initial treatment effects are replicated.
abative effect - 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.
abolishing operation (AO) - ANSWER A motivating operation that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness
of a stimulus, object, or event.
accuracy - ANSWER The extent to which observed values, the data produced by measuring an event,
match the true state, or true values, of the event as it exists in nature.
adjunctive behavior/schedule-induced behavior - ANSWER Behavior that occurs as a collateral effect of a
schedule of periodic reinforcement for other behavior; time-filling or interim activities that are induced
by schedules of reinforcement during times when reinforcement is unlikely to be delivered.
affirmation of the consequent - ANSWER A three-step form of reasoning that begins with a true
antecedent-consequent (if A-then B) statement and proceeds as follows: 1. If A is true, then B is true; 2.
,B is found to be true; 3. therefore A is true. Although other factors could be responsible for the
truthfulness of A, a sound experiment affirms several if A-then B possibilities, each one reducing the
likelihood of factors other than the independent variable being responsible for the observed changes in
behavior.
alternating treatments design/concurrent schedule design/multielement design - ANSWER An
experimental design in which two or more conditions (one of which may be a no-treatment control
condition) are presented in rapidly aternating succession independent of the level of responding;
differences in responding between or among conditions are attributed to the effects of the conditions.
multiple schedule design - ANSWER An experimental design in which two or more conditions are
compared to baseline as well as each other.
alternative schedule - ANSWER Provides reinforcement whenever the requirement of either a ratio
schedule or an interval schedule - the basic schedules that makeup the alternative schedule - is met,
regardless of which of the component schedule's requirements is met first.
anecdotal observation/ABC recording - ANSWER A form of direct, continuous observation in which the
observer records a descriptive, temporally sequenced account of all behavior(s) of interest and the
antecedent conditions and consequences for those behaviors as those events occur in the client's
natural environment.
antecedent - ANSWER An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a
behavior of interest.
antecedent intervention - ANSWER A behavior change strategy that manipulates contingency-
independent antecedent stimuli.
antecedent control - ANSWER A behavior change intervention that manipulates contingency dependent
consequence event to affect stimulus control.
antecedent stimulus class - ANSWER A set of stimuli that share a common relationship and evoke the
same operant behavior, or elicit the same respondent behavior.
,applied behavior analysis (ABA) - ANSWER The science in which 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 of behavior.
arbitrary stimulus class - ANSWER Antecedent stimuli that evoke the same response but do not resemble
each other in physical form or share a relational aspect such as a bigger or under.
artifact - ANSWER An outcome or result that appears to exist because of the way it is measured but in
fact does not correspond to what actually occurred.
ascending baseline - ANSWER A data path that shows an increasing trend in the response measure over
time.
audience - ANSWER Anyone who functions as a discriminative stimulus evoking verbal behavior.
Different ones may control different verbal behavior about the same topic because of a differential
reinforcement history.
automatic punishment - ANSWER Punishment that occurs independent of the social mediation by
others. (i.e. a response product serves as a punisher independent of the social environment.)
automatic reinforcement - ANSWER Reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of
others. (e.g. scratching an insect bite relieves the itch.)
automaticity of reinforcement - ANSWER Refers to the fact that behavior is modified by its consequences
irrespective of the person's awareness; a person does not have to recognize or verbalize the relation
between her behavior and a reinforcing consequence, or even know that a consequence has occurred,
for reinforcement to "work".
aversive stimulus - ANSWER In general, an unpleasant or noxious stimulus; more technically, a stimulus
change or condition that functions: (a) to evoke a behavior that has terminated it in the past; (b) as a
punisher when presented following behavior, and/or (c) as a reinforcer when withdrawn following a
behavior.
, avoidance contingency - ANSWER A contingency in which a response prevents or postpones the
presentation of a stimulus.
B-A-B design - ANSWER A three-phase experimental design that begins with the treatment condition.
After steady state responding has been obtained during the initial treatment phase, the treatment
variable is withdrawn to see whether responding changes in the absence of the independent variable.
The treatment variable is then reintroduced in an attempt to recapture the level of responding obtained
during the first treatment phase.
backup reinforcers - ANSWER Tangible objects, activities, or privileges that serve as reinforcers and that
can be purchased with tokens.
backward chaining - ANSWER A teaching procedure in which a trainer completes all but the last behavior
in a chain, which is performed by the learner, who then receives reinforcement for completing the chain.
When the learner shows competence in performing the final step in the chain, the trainer performs all
but the last two steps to complete the chain, and reinforcement is delivered. This sequence is continued
until the learner completes the entire chain independently.
backward chaining with leaps ahead - ANSWER A backward chaining procedure in which some steps in
the task analysis are skipped; used to increase the efficiency of teaching long behavior chains when
there is evidence that the skipped steps are in the learners repertoire.
bar graph/histogram - ANSWER A simple and versatile graphic format for summarizing behavioral data;
shares most of the line graphs's features except that it does not have distinct data points representing
successive response measures through time.
baseline - ANSWER A condition of an experiment in which the independent variable is not present; data
obtained during baseline are the basis for determining the effects of the independent variable; a control
condition that does not necessarily mean the absence of instruction or treatment, only the absence of a
specific independent variable of experimental interest.
baseline logic - ANSWER A term sometimes used to refer to the experimental reasoning inherent in
single-subject experimental designs; entails three elements: prediction, verification, and replication.
BCBA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2024
A-B design - ANSWER A two-phase experimental design consisting of a pre-treatment baseline condition
followed by a treatment condition.
A-B-A design - ANSWER A three-phase experimental design consisting of an initial baseline phase until
steady state responding (or counter-therapeutic trend) is obtained, an intervention phase in which the
treatment condition is implemented until the behavior has changed and steady state responding is
obtained, and a return to baseline conditions by withdrawing the independent variable to see whether
responding "reverses" to levels observed in the initial baseline phase.
Reversal/Withdrawl Design (A-B-A-B design) - ANSWER An experimental design consisting of an initial
baseline phase until steady state responding (or counter-therapeutic trend) is obtained; an initial
intervention phase in which the treatment variable is implemented until the behavior has changed and
steady state responding is obtained; a return to baseline conditions by withdrawing the independent
variable to see whether responding "reverses" to levels observed in the initial baseline phase; a second
intervention phase to see whether initial treatment effects are replicated.
abative effect - 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.
abolishing operation (AO) - ANSWER A motivating operation that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness
of a stimulus, object, or event.
accuracy - ANSWER The extent to which observed values, the data produced by measuring an event,
match the true state, or true values, of the event as it exists in nature.
adjunctive behavior/schedule-induced behavior - ANSWER Behavior that occurs as a collateral effect of a
schedule of periodic reinforcement for other behavior; time-filling or interim activities that are induced
by schedules of reinforcement during times when reinforcement is unlikely to be delivered.
affirmation of the consequent - ANSWER A three-step form of reasoning that begins with a true
antecedent-consequent (if A-then B) statement and proceeds as follows: 1. If A is true, then B is true; 2.
,B is found to be true; 3. therefore A is true. Although other factors could be responsible for the
truthfulness of A, a sound experiment affirms several if A-then B possibilities, each one reducing the
likelihood of factors other than the independent variable being responsible for the observed changes in
behavior.
alternating treatments design/concurrent schedule design/multielement design - ANSWER An
experimental design in which two or more conditions (one of which may be a no-treatment control
condition) are presented in rapidly aternating succession independent of the level of responding;
differences in responding between or among conditions are attributed to the effects of the conditions.
multiple schedule design - ANSWER An experimental design in which two or more conditions are
compared to baseline as well as each other.
alternative schedule - ANSWER Provides reinforcement whenever the requirement of either a ratio
schedule or an interval schedule - the basic schedules that makeup the alternative schedule - is met,
regardless of which of the component schedule's requirements is met first.
anecdotal observation/ABC recording - ANSWER A form of direct, continuous observation in which the
observer records a descriptive, temporally sequenced account of all behavior(s) of interest and the
antecedent conditions and consequences for those behaviors as those events occur in the client's
natural environment.
antecedent - ANSWER An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a
behavior of interest.
antecedent intervention - ANSWER A behavior change strategy that manipulates contingency-
independent antecedent stimuli.
antecedent control - ANSWER A behavior change intervention that manipulates contingency dependent
consequence event to affect stimulus control.
antecedent stimulus class - ANSWER A set of stimuli that share a common relationship and evoke the
same operant behavior, or elicit the same respondent behavior.
,applied behavior analysis (ABA) - ANSWER The science in which 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 of behavior.
arbitrary stimulus class - ANSWER Antecedent stimuli that evoke the same response but do not resemble
each other in physical form or share a relational aspect such as a bigger or under.
artifact - ANSWER An outcome or result that appears to exist because of the way it is measured but in
fact does not correspond to what actually occurred.
ascending baseline - ANSWER A data path that shows an increasing trend in the response measure over
time.
audience - ANSWER Anyone who functions as a discriminative stimulus evoking verbal behavior.
Different ones may control different verbal behavior about the same topic because of a differential
reinforcement history.
automatic punishment - ANSWER Punishment that occurs independent of the social mediation by
others. (i.e. a response product serves as a punisher independent of the social environment.)
automatic reinforcement - ANSWER Reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of
others. (e.g. scratching an insect bite relieves the itch.)
automaticity of reinforcement - ANSWER Refers to the fact that behavior is modified by its consequences
irrespective of the person's awareness; a person does not have to recognize or verbalize the relation
between her behavior and a reinforcing consequence, or even know that a consequence has occurred,
for reinforcement to "work".
aversive stimulus - ANSWER In general, an unpleasant or noxious stimulus; more technically, a stimulus
change or condition that functions: (a) to evoke a behavior that has terminated it in the past; (b) as a
punisher when presented following behavior, and/or (c) as a reinforcer when withdrawn following a
behavior.
, avoidance contingency - ANSWER A contingency in which a response prevents or postpones the
presentation of a stimulus.
B-A-B design - ANSWER A three-phase experimental design that begins with the treatment condition.
After steady state responding has been obtained during the initial treatment phase, the treatment
variable is withdrawn to see whether responding changes in the absence of the independent variable.
The treatment variable is then reintroduced in an attempt to recapture the level of responding obtained
during the first treatment phase.
backup reinforcers - ANSWER Tangible objects, activities, or privileges that serve as reinforcers and that
can be purchased with tokens.
backward chaining - ANSWER A teaching procedure in which a trainer completes all but the last behavior
in a chain, which is performed by the learner, who then receives reinforcement for completing the chain.
When the learner shows competence in performing the final step in the chain, the trainer performs all
but the last two steps to complete the chain, and reinforcement is delivered. This sequence is continued
until the learner completes the entire chain independently.
backward chaining with leaps ahead - ANSWER A backward chaining procedure in which some steps in
the task analysis are skipped; used to increase the efficiency of teaching long behavior chains when
there is evidence that the skipped steps are in the learners repertoire.
bar graph/histogram - ANSWER A simple and versatile graphic format for summarizing behavioral data;
shares most of the line graphs's features except that it does not have distinct data points representing
successive response measures through time.
baseline - ANSWER A condition of an experiment in which the independent variable is not present; data
obtained during baseline are the basis for determining the effects of the independent variable; a control
condition that does not necessarily mean the absence of instruction or treatment, only the absence of a
specific independent variable of experimental interest.
baseline logic - ANSWER A term sometimes used to refer to the experimental reasoning inherent in
single-subject experimental designs; entails three elements: prediction, verification, and replication.
