BCBA Task List 5th Edition (A1-A5)
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - 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 in
behavior.
Identify the goals of behavior analysis as a science. - 3 Levels of Scientific
Understanding: Description, Prediction, and Control
Description - Facts that are derived from systematically observed events.
Prediction - When repeated observations show that there is a consistent relationship
between the occurrence of 2 events.
Control - An experimental demonstration that manipulating 1 event (IV) results in a
change in another event (DV) and this change can only be attributable to the
independent variable.
Explain the Philosophical Assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis. -
(DEPPS-PER) Determinism Empiricism Pragmatism Parsimony Selectionism
Philosophical Doubt Experimentation Replication
Determinism - The assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which
phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a willy-nilly, accidental fashion.
Empiricism - The act of objective observation and measurement.
Parsimony - The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or
conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations.
Pragmatism k- kA kpractical kapproach kto kproblems kin kwhich ktruth kis kfound kin kthe
kprocess kof kverification.
Selectionism k- kA ktheory kthat kall kforms kof klife knaturally kand kcontinually kevolve kas ka
kresult kof kthe kinteraction kbetween kfunction kand kthe ksurvival kvalue kof kthat kfunction.
kOperant kselection kby kconsequences kis kthe kconceptual kand kempirical kfoundation
kof kbehavior kanalysis.
Describe kand kexplain kbehavior kfrom kthe kperspective kof kradical kbehaviorism. k-
kRadical kbehaviorism kis ka ktypes kof kbehaviorism kthat kseeks kto kunderstand kall
kforms kof kbehavior, kincluding kprivate kevents ksuch kas kthoughts kand kfeelings, kin
kterms kof kcontrolling kvariables kin kthe khistory kof kthe kperson k(ontogeny) kand kthe
kspecies k(phylogeny)
Ontogeny k- kThe khistory kof kdevelopment kof kan kindividual korganism kduring kits klifetime.
Phylogeny k- kThe khistory kof kthe knatural kevolution kof ka kspecies.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - 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 in
behavior.
Identify the goals of behavior analysis as a science. - 3 Levels of Scientific
Understanding: Description, Prediction, and Control
Description - Facts that are derived from systematically observed events.
Prediction - When repeated observations show that there is a consistent relationship
between the occurrence of 2 events.
Control - An experimental demonstration that manipulating 1 event (IV) results in a
change in another event (DV) and this change can only be attributable to the
independent variable.
Explain the Philosophical Assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis. -
(DEPPS-PER) Determinism Empiricism Pragmatism Parsimony Selectionism
Philosophical Doubt Experimentation Replication
Determinism - The assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which
phenomena occur in relation to other events and not in a willy-nilly, accidental fashion.
Empiricism - The act of objective observation and measurement.
Parsimony - The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or
conceptually, before considering more complex or abstract explanations.
Pragmatism k- kA kpractical kapproach kto kproblems kin kwhich ktruth kis kfound kin kthe
kprocess kof kverification.
Selectionism k- kA ktheory kthat kall kforms kof klife knaturally kand kcontinually kevolve kas ka
kresult kof kthe kinteraction kbetween kfunction kand kthe ksurvival kvalue kof kthat kfunction.
kOperant kselection kby kconsequences kis kthe kconceptual kand kempirical kfoundation
kof kbehavior kanalysis.
Describe kand kexplain kbehavior kfrom kthe kperspective kof kradical kbehaviorism. k-
kRadical kbehaviorism kis ka ktypes kof kbehaviorism kthat kseeks kto kunderstand kall
kforms kof kbehavior, kincluding kprivate kevents ksuch kas kthoughts kand kfeelings, kin
kterms kof kcontrolling kvariables kin kthe khistory kof kthe kperson k(ontogeny) kand kthe
kspecies k(phylogeny)
Ontogeny k- kThe khistory kof kdevelopment kof kan kindividual korganism kduring kits klifetime.
Phylogeny k- kThe khistory kof kthe knatural kevolution kof ka kspecies.
