Question 1

In order to decrease the occurrence of an inappropriate behavior effectively, a behavior analyst should simultaneously increase.

Accepted Answer

Increasing acceptable alternative behaviors provides individuals with appropriate options to replace the inappropriate behavior, thereby reducing its occurrence.

Question 2

John's instructional program has successfully increased the number of words he reads correctly per minute. The procedures used include special worksheets, contingent reinforcement for number of words read correctly, and peer tutoring. The behavior analyst wants to determine which part or parts of the treatment have been effective, so he systematically dismantles the treatment and withdraws elements until the reading no longer improves. The behavior analyst is completing A.

Accepted Answer

The behavior analyst is completing a component analysis by systematically dismantling the treatment and withdrawing elements until the reading no longer improves, in order to determine which part(s) of the treatment have been effective.

Question 3

The systematic presentation and examination of information in an ABC format, where A represents the antecedent stimuli, B represents the behavior, and C represents the consequences following the behavior, is called.

Accepted Answer

A descriptive assessment involves observing and recording the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences to understand the context and function of a behavior.

Question 4

During the hour immediately following meals, Bill asks for more food. Data are collected only during this hour after each meal. Which method of data collection would be MOST accurate?

Accepted Answer

Frequency recording would be the most accurate method in this case, as it involves counting how many times a behavior occurs within a specific time frame. In this case, the behavior of asking for more food is being recorded during the hour immediately following meals. Duration recording, narrative recording, and partial-interval recording may not be as accurate in capturing the frequency of this behavior during a specific time frame.

Question 5

To change the occurrence of hitting others, two procedures were compareD. differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior and time-out. The outcomes were examined within and across subjects. A withdrawal design was employed. An independent variable in this study was:

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the use of time-out as a procedure to reduce hitting behavior. The study compares this to differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior to see which method is more effective at changing the behavior. Therefore, D is the correct answer.

Question 6

The use of an alternating treatments design should be considered if.

Accepted Answer

An alternating treatments design allows for the rapid comparison of multiple interventions, making it suitable when quick evaluation is necessary.

Question 7

A narrative recording is used to clearly determine all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The function of a behavior cannot be determined through a narrative recording.

Question 8

Which of the following scenarios involves a behavioral contingency?

Accepted Answer

A behavioral contingency involves the relationship between a behavior and its consequences. In this scenario, hitting her head on the wall resulted in a staff person asking Susan to stop, thus creating a contingency for her behavior. The other scenarios do not involve consequences that are contingent on specific behaviors.

Question 9

Ingrid is attempting to learn to speak English. Her teacher, Rosa, presents pictures of preferred items, states the label in English, and prompts Ingrid to repeat them. Over time, Rosa stops labeling items and begins to present Ingrid with a variety of pictures of the same items. Rosa is trying to promote.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization occurs when a person responds to various stimuli that are similar to the original stimuli. In this scenario, Rosa is trying to promote stimulus generalization by presenting Ingrid with a variety of pictures of the same items without labeling them. This will help Ingrid to generalize her learning to other similar items and situations.

Question 10

Three boys with autism, ages 7-10 years old, served as participants in a study. During baseline, staff used response blocking when five instances of aggression or head-banging occurred within 10 seconds, until attempts ceased for 1 minute. During baseline and treatment, each occurrence of aggression and head-banging was recorded daily and converted to the number of responses per hour. Treatment comprised a differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI) schedule coupled with response blocking after every head-banging or aggression. The staff initially applied the treatment to head-banging, while continuing to take a baseline on aggression. After noting treatment effects on head-banging, the staff then applied the treatment to aggression. In this scenario, how was direct replication shown?

Accepted Answer

The intervention was applied to one behavior (head-banging) first, and then to another behavior (aggression), demonstrating direct replication by showing the effects of the intervention across different behaviors in a staggered manner.

Question 11

A functional relationship exists only if.

Accepted Answer

A functional relationship exists when changes in a stimulus class consistently alter a property of a response class, indicating a cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 12

During three 30-minute observations, Linda gouged her eye 8, 17, and 12 times, respectively. Each incident lasted between 1 and 3 seconds, with an average duration of 1.3 seconds. Which is the BEST dimension to continue to measure?

Accepted Answer

The best dimension to continue measuring would be rate, as it takes into account both the frequency and duration of the behavior. Inter-response time and latency may not be as relevant in this case, as gouging one's eye does not involve a specific response that needs to be measured in terms of time. Duration is also not the best choice, as it only measures how long the behavior lasts, without taking into account how often it occurs. Therefore, rate would provide the most comprehensive information about the behavior.

Question 13

Identifying the steps involved in evacuating the group home during a fire drill is an example of a (n):

Accepted Answer

Identifying the steps involved in evacuating the group home during a fire drill is an example of a task analysis. Task analysis is the process of breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to teach and reinforce those steps in order to achieve mastery of the task. It is often used in behavior and skill training interventions.

Question 14

When Susan attempts to escape from a task, she exhibits several behaviors, including hitting her head, stomping her feet, and crying. This is an example of A.

Accepted Answer

A functional response class is a group of behaviors that serve the same function, such as escaping from a task. Susan's behaviors of hitting her head, stomping her feet, and crying all serve the function of escaping from the task she is trying to avoid.

Question 15

A behavior analyst is asked to consult about a 10-year-old child who gets out of his seat during class at least once every 15 minutes. The behavior analyst wants the teacher to collect data on the child's on-task behavior. Given that the teacher works alone in the classroom with 30 children, the BEST procedure to employ would be.

Accepted Answer

Time sampling is the best procedure in this scenario as it allows the teacher to periodically check and record whether the child is on-task at specific moments, which is manageable given the large class size and the teacher's limited ability to continuously observe one child.

Question 16

Available resources, applicable federal and state laws, programmatic costs, and a person's adaptive skills, learning history, and personal interests should all be considered as part of the process of.

Accepted Answer

The process of considering available resources, applicable laws, programmatic costs, adaptive skills, learning history, and personal interests is part of prioritizing goals and objectives. It involves determining which goals and objectives are most important and feasible to pursue given the individual's circumstances and the available resources and constraints.

Question 17

An establishing operation is any change in the environment which.

Accepted Answer

An establishing operation is any change in the environment which alters the effectiveness of some object or event as reinforcement thus momentarily changing the likelihood of behavior that was previously followed by that reinforcer. This definition is best represented by choice C.

Question 18

Which situation is the BEST example of contingency-shaped behavior?

Accepted Answer

Contingency-shaped behavior is learned through direct experience with the consequences of actions. In option D, Jennifer's behavior of manding for a candy bar is directly reinforced by receiving and eating the candy bar, illustrating learning through direct experience with the outcome.

Question 19

One of the MOST important reasons for writing a precise definition of behavior is that a precise definition:

Accepted Answer

A precise definition of behavior ensures that observers or measurement equipment can consistently and accurately identify and measure the behavior, increasing reliability in detection.

Question 20

One limitation of descriptive analysis is that it:

Accepted Answer

Descriptive analysis may provide information about the presence or absence of the target behavior and its topography and intensity, but it does not allow for the determination of functional relationships between the behavior and environmental variables. This limitation can be addressed by conducting experimental functional analyses. The other options are not limitations of descriptive analysis.

Exam 1: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst