BCBA Exam QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2025
stimulus class - Answer - any group of stimuli sharing a predetermined set of common elements in one
or more of the following: physical features, temporally, & functionally
stimulus - Answer - energy change that affects an organism
response class - Answer - group of responses with the same function & that produce the same effect on
the environment
response - Answer - specific instance of behavior
behavior - Answer - activity of living organisms
applied behavior analysis - Answer - science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are
applied systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify
the variables responsible for behavior change
empowering - Answer - a dimension of ABA that say tools that work to instill confidence
doable - Answer - dimension of ABA that says interventions should be pragmatic
accountable - Answer - dimension of ABA; behavior should be directly & frequently measured
generality - Answer - dimension of ABA; changes should last over time
effective - Answer - dimension of ABA; noticeable and reliable changes in target behavior
,conceptually systematic - Answer - dimension of ABA; procedures & effectiveness should be described in
terms of behavioral principles
analytic - Answer - dimension of ABA; a functional relation between manipulated events and a reliable
change in a dimension of target behavior should be demonstrated
technological - Answer - dimension of ABA; operative procedures are identified & described with detail
and clarity
behavioral - Answer - dimension of ABA; behavior should be in need of improvement, measurable, &
target the client's behavior
applied - Answer - dimension of ABA; improvements in behaviors that enhance and improve people's
lives
operant behaviors - Answer - behaviors not elicited by preceding stimuli but influenced by stimulus
changes that have followed behavior in the past (e.g. not reflexive)
respondent behavior - Answer - reflexive behavior; elicited by an antecedent
behaviorism - Answer - philosophy of science of behavior, experimental analysis of behavior, & applied
behavior analysis
functional relation - Answer - well-controlled experiment that reveals a specific change in one event (DV)
is reliably created by specific manipulations of another event (IV) and that is unlikely to be a result of
confounding variables
antecedent - Answer - environmental conditions or stimulus changes that exist or occur prior to behavior
of iterest
consequence - Answer - a stimulus change that follows the target behavior
, conditioned stimulus - Answer - the stimulus component of a conditioned reflex
conditioned reflex - Answer - learned stimulus-response functional relation consisting of an antecedent
stimulus and the response it elicits
operant conditioning - Answer - the process and selective effects of consequences on behavior
reinforcer - Answer - a stimulus change that increases the future frequency of behavior that immediately
precedes it
punisher - Answer - a stimulus change that decreases the future frequency of a behavior that
immediately precedes it
positive reinforcement - Answer - a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus
and occurs more often in the future as a result
negative reinforcement - Answer - a behavior is followed immediately by the removal or termination of a
stimulus and occurs more often in the future as a result
extinction - Answer - reinforcement is withheld for all members of a previously reinforced response class
and the frequency of behavior decreases to prereinforcement level or stops altogether as a result
punishment - Answer - when a behavior is followed by a stimulus change that decreases future
frequency of that behavior
unconditioned reinforcer - Answer - a stimulus change that can increase the future frequency of
behavior without prior pairing with any other form of reinforcement
positive punishment - Answer - a behavior is immediately followed by the presentation of a stimulus that
decreases future frequency of that behavior
ANSWERS 2025
stimulus class - Answer - any group of stimuli sharing a predetermined set of common elements in one
or more of the following: physical features, temporally, & functionally
stimulus - Answer - energy change that affects an organism
response class - Answer - group of responses with the same function & that produce the same effect on
the environment
response - Answer - specific instance of behavior
behavior - Answer - activity of living organisms
applied behavior analysis - Answer - science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are
applied systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify
the variables responsible for behavior change
empowering - Answer - a dimension of ABA that say tools that work to instill confidence
doable - Answer - dimension of ABA that says interventions should be pragmatic
accountable - Answer - dimension of ABA; behavior should be directly & frequently measured
generality - Answer - dimension of ABA; changes should last over time
effective - Answer - dimension of ABA; noticeable and reliable changes in target behavior
,conceptually systematic - Answer - dimension of ABA; procedures & effectiveness should be described in
terms of behavioral principles
analytic - Answer - dimension of ABA; a functional relation between manipulated events and a reliable
change in a dimension of target behavior should be demonstrated
technological - Answer - dimension of ABA; operative procedures are identified & described with detail
and clarity
behavioral - Answer - dimension of ABA; behavior should be in need of improvement, measurable, &
target the client's behavior
applied - Answer - dimension of ABA; improvements in behaviors that enhance and improve people's
lives
operant behaviors - Answer - behaviors not elicited by preceding stimuli but influenced by stimulus
changes that have followed behavior in the past (e.g. not reflexive)
respondent behavior - Answer - reflexive behavior; elicited by an antecedent
behaviorism - Answer - philosophy of science of behavior, experimental analysis of behavior, & applied
behavior analysis
functional relation - Answer - well-controlled experiment that reveals a specific change in one event (DV)
is reliably created by specific manipulations of another event (IV) and that is unlikely to be a result of
confounding variables
antecedent - Answer - environmental conditions or stimulus changes that exist or occur prior to behavior
of iterest
consequence - Answer - a stimulus change that follows the target behavior
, conditioned stimulus - Answer - the stimulus component of a conditioned reflex
conditioned reflex - Answer - learned stimulus-response functional relation consisting of an antecedent
stimulus and the response it elicits
operant conditioning - Answer - the process and selective effects of consequences on behavior
reinforcer - Answer - a stimulus change that increases the future frequency of behavior that immediately
precedes it
punisher - Answer - a stimulus change that decreases the future frequency of a behavior that
immediately precedes it
positive reinforcement - Answer - a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus
and occurs more often in the future as a result
negative reinforcement - Answer - a behavior is followed immediately by the removal or termination of a
stimulus and occurs more often in the future as a result
extinction - Answer - reinforcement is withheld for all members of a previously reinforced response class
and the frequency of behavior decreases to prereinforcement level or stops altogether as a result
punishment - Answer - when a behavior is followed by a stimulus change that decreases future
frequency of that behavior
unconditioned reinforcer - Answer - a stimulus change that can increase the future frequency of
behavior without prior pairing with any other form of reinforcement
positive punishment - Answer - a behavior is immediately followed by the presentation of a stimulus that
decreases future frequency of that behavior
