Principles of Behavior Analysis
BEHV 5600 – BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE | EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
BEHV 5600
1. Which philosophical position holds that behavior is lawful and
determined by environmental variables rather than by an inner agent?
A. Mentalism
B. Determinism
C. Hermeneutics
D. Dualism
ANSWER : B. Determinism
Determinism assumes behavior is lawful and caused by identifiable
variables, which is the starting assumption of behavior analysis.
2. Radical behaviorism differs from methodological behaviorism mainly
because radical behaviorism:
A. Relies on introspection as the main source of data
B. Limits analysis to reflexes elicited by stimuli
C. Rejects any study of private events
D. Treats private events such as thoughts and feelings as behavior subject
to the same laws as public behavior
ANSWER : D. Treats private events such as thoughts and feelings as
behavior subject to the same laws as public behavior
Skinner's radical behaviorism includes private events as behavior rather
than excluding them from scientific analysis.
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, Principles of Behavior Analysis
3. The attitude of science that requires objective observation and
measurement of a phenomenon before it is accepted is called:
A. Philosophic doubt
B. Parsimony
C. Pragmatism
D. Empiricism
ANSWER : D. Empiricism
Empiricism means relying on direct, objective observation rather than
opinion or speculation.
4. A behavior analyst first rules out simple, logical explanations before
considering more complex ones. This reflects:
A. Replication
B. Experimentation
C. Determinism
D. Parsimony
ANSWER : D. Parsimony
Parsimony favors the simplest explanation that fits the data before
turning to more complex accounts.
5. Continuing to question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact,
even well-established findings, is known as:
A. Mentalism
B. Selectionism
C. Philosophic doubt
D. Empiricism
ANSWER : C. Philosophic doubt
Philosophic doubt keeps scientists open to revising conclusions when new
data appear.
6. Which of the three levels of scientific understanding allows the
scientist to change an event by manipulating its causes?
A. Prediction
B. Description
C. Control
D. Explanation by analogy
ANSWER : C. Control
Control is the highest level, demonstrated when manipulating one
variable reliably changes another.
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, Principles of Behavior Analysis
7. Explaining a child's aggression by saying 'he is aggressive because he
has an aggressive personality' is an example of:
A. Operational definition
B. Behavioral cusp
C. Circular reasoning
D. Functional analysis
ANSWER : C. Circular reasoning
The 'cause' is inferred from the very behavior it claims to explain, so the
reasoning is circular.
8. Skinner described operant behavior as being selected by its
consequences, a process comparable to natural selection. This view is
called:
A. Mechanism
B. Selectionism
C. Structuralism
D. Nativism
ANSWER : B. Selectionism
Selectionism holds that consequences select behavior over an individual's
lifetime, much as natural selection works across generations.
9. Which dimension of applied behavior analysis requires that target
behaviors be socially significant for the individual?
A. Applied
B. Conceptually systematic
C. Technological
D. Analytic
ANSWER : A. Applied
Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) defined 'applied' as targeting behaviors that
matter to the person and society.
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, Principles of Behavior Analysis
10. An intervention described so completely that a trained reader could
replicate it exactly meets which dimension of ABA?
A. Technological
B. Effective
C. Generality
D. Behavioral
ANSWER : A. Technological
Technological means procedures are written clearly and in enough detail
to be replicated.
11. Which of the following passes the dead man's test as a behavior?
A. Staying quiet
B. Sitting still
C. Writing a sentence
D. Not hitting a peer
ANSWER : C. Writing a sentence
If a dead man can do it, it is not behavior. Writing requires movement, so
it counts.
12. A response class is best defined as:
A. The total behavior a person can emit
B. A single instance of behavior
C. A group of responses that share the same function
D. All responses that look alike regardless of effect
ANSWER : C. A group of responses that share the same function
Members of a response class produce the same effect on the environment
even if their forms differ.
13. An environmental change that elicits a response without any prior
learning is called a(n):
A. Discriminative stimulus
B. Neutral stimulus
C. Unconditioned stimulus
D. Conditioned stimulus
ANSWER : C. Unconditioned stimulus
An unconditioned stimulus elicits a reflexive response because of the
organism's phylogeny, not its learning history.
Page 4 of 55
BEHV 5600 – BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE | EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
BEHV 5600
1. Which philosophical position holds that behavior is lawful and
determined by environmental variables rather than by an inner agent?
A. Mentalism
B. Determinism
C. Hermeneutics
D. Dualism
ANSWER : B. Determinism
Determinism assumes behavior is lawful and caused by identifiable
variables, which is the starting assumption of behavior analysis.
2. Radical behaviorism differs from methodological behaviorism mainly
because radical behaviorism:
A. Relies on introspection as the main source of data
B. Limits analysis to reflexes elicited by stimuli
C. Rejects any study of private events
D. Treats private events such as thoughts and feelings as behavior subject
to the same laws as public behavior
ANSWER : D. Treats private events such as thoughts and feelings as
behavior subject to the same laws as public behavior
Skinner's radical behaviorism includes private events as behavior rather
than excluding them from scientific analysis.
Page 1 of 55
, Principles of Behavior Analysis
3. The attitude of science that requires objective observation and
measurement of a phenomenon before it is accepted is called:
A. Philosophic doubt
B. Parsimony
C. Pragmatism
D. Empiricism
ANSWER : D. Empiricism
Empiricism means relying on direct, objective observation rather than
opinion or speculation.
4. A behavior analyst first rules out simple, logical explanations before
considering more complex ones. This reflects:
A. Replication
B. Experimentation
C. Determinism
D. Parsimony
ANSWER : D. Parsimony
Parsimony favors the simplest explanation that fits the data before
turning to more complex accounts.
5. Continuing to question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact,
even well-established findings, is known as:
A. Mentalism
B. Selectionism
C. Philosophic doubt
D. Empiricism
ANSWER : C. Philosophic doubt
Philosophic doubt keeps scientists open to revising conclusions when new
data appear.
6. Which of the three levels of scientific understanding allows the
scientist to change an event by manipulating its causes?
A. Prediction
B. Description
C. Control
D. Explanation by analogy
ANSWER : C. Control
Control is the highest level, demonstrated when manipulating one
variable reliably changes another.
Page 2 of 55
, Principles of Behavior Analysis
7. Explaining a child's aggression by saying 'he is aggressive because he
has an aggressive personality' is an example of:
A. Operational definition
B. Behavioral cusp
C. Circular reasoning
D. Functional analysis
ANSWER : C. Circular reasoning
The 'cause' is inferred from the very behavior it claims to explain, so the
reasoning is circular.
8. Skinner described operant behavior as being selected by its
consequences, a process comparable to natural selection. This view is
called:
A. Mechanism
B. Selectionism
C. Structuralism
D. Nativism
ANSWER : B. Selectionism
Selectionism holds that consequences select behavior over an individual's
lifetime, much as natural selection works across generations.
9. Which dimension of applied behavior analysis requires that target
behaviors be socially significant for the individual?
A. Applied
B. Conceptually systematic
C. Technological
D. Analytic
ANSWER : A. Applied
Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) defined 'applied' as targeting behaviors that
matter to the person and society.
Page 3 of 55
, Principles of Behavior Analysis
10. An intervention described so completely that a trained reader could
replicate it exactly meets which dimension of ABA?
A. Technological
B. Effective
C. Generality
D. Behavioral
ANSWER : A. Technological
Technological means procedures are written clearly and in enough detail
to be replicated.
11. Which of the following passes the dead man's test as a behavior?
A. Staying quiet
B. Sitting still
C. Writing a sentence
D. Not hitting a peer
ANSWER : C. Writing a sentence
If a dead man can do it, it is not behavior. Writing requires movement, so
it counts.
12. A response class is best defined as:
A. The total behavior a person can emit
B. A single instance of behavior
C. A group of responses that share the same function
D. All responses that look alike regardless of effect
ANSWER : C. A group of responses that share the same function
Members of a response class produce the same effect on the environment
even if their forms differ.
13. An environmental change that elicits a response without any prior
learning is called a(n):
A. Discriminative stimulus
B. Neutral stimulus
C. Unconditioned stimulus
D. Conditioned stimulus
ANSWER : C. Unconditioned stimulus
An unconditioned stimulus elicits a reflexive response because of the
organism's phylogeny, not its learning history.
Page 4 of 55
