Question 1

Steve is a behavior analyst working with staff members who are not implementing programs on a consistent basis. Staff report that the heavy workload interferes with their ability to run the programs consistently. What should Steve do FIRST to address this problem?

Accepted Answer

Before implementing any changes or solutions, Steve first needs to gather information about the problem. By assessing the staff's daily routine, he can identify if there are any time conflicts that might be contributing to the inconsistent implementation of programs. Once these time conflicts are identified, he can begin to develop solutions that will help staff have more time and resources to devote to implementing the programs consistently.

Question 2

Larry engages in self-injurious behavior which is maintained by automatic reinforcement. This behavior results in abrasions on both of his arms as a result of intense scratching. The behavior analyst decides to have Larry only wear long sleeved shirts as an initial effort to reduce the behavior. This is an example of which type of procedure?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Larry engages in self-injurious behavior which is...

Question 3

Tact behavior is controlled by a ________ stimulus. The reinforcer for tact behavior is _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tact behavior is controlled by a ________...

Question 4

One of the basic requirements for staff training is that the:

Accepted Answer

Completion of training should be based on the demonstrated competency of the staff. This means that staff should be assessed on their skills and knowledge before and after training, and their ability to perform their job effectively should be the main criteria for determining whether they have completed the training. This approach ensures that staff are adequately prepared to perform their job tasks and contributes to a higher standard of care in the workplace.

Question 5

As part of evaluating procedural integrity on a school based program, it is important for the behavior analyst to assess the quality of data collected by a teacher. The BEST method is for the behavior analyst to?

Accepted Answer

The best method for assessing the quality of data collected by a teacher would be for the behavior analyst to take data on student performance simultaneously with the teacher. This will allow for a direct comparison of the data collected, which will help the behavior analyst to determine the accuracy and consistency of the teacher's data collection procedures. Comparing self-graphed data, comparing data collected by two different teachers, or comparing observation data with data collected from an earlier training session may all be helpful, but they are not as direct a comparison as taking data simultaneously with the teacher.

Question 6

A behavior analyst is conducting a communication training session with a child. The behavior analyst says to the child, "Say your name." The child says, "Sarah." and the behavior analyst delivers a reinforcer. What type of verbal operant was the behavior analyst's statement?

Accepted Answer

The behavior analyst's statement was a mand, as they were giving an instruction or command which the child followed in order to receive a reinforcer.

Question 7

Which situation is likely to be an example of negative reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement is the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. In this scenario, the unpleasant stimulus is the nagging boss and the behavior being reinforced is submitting reports. By submitting the reports, the employee removes the unpleasant stimulus of the boss's nagging, therefore increasing the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

Question 8

Sue consults with her supervisor to be certain her procedures are conceptually systematic. Conceptually systematic procedures are

Accepted Answer

Conceptually systematic procedures are linked to and described in terms of the basic principles of behavior. They are designed with a clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms of behavior and how they can be manipulated to produce the desired outcomes. When procedures are conceptually systematic, it means that they are based on a solid theoretical foundation and are more likely to be effective in producing the desired behavior change.

Question 9

A stimulus is defined as

Accepted Answer

A stimulus is any change in the environment that can affect behavior, which aligns with option B.

Question 10

The dependency between a response and the stimuli that precede and follow it is referred to as a

Accepted Answer

The term contingency refers to the dependency between a response and the stimuli that precede and follow it. A behavior chain refers to a sequence of behaviors that are linked together, a behavioral correlation refers to the relationship between two or more behaviors, and a functional response class refers to a group of behaviors that serve the same function or purpose. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 11

Mr. Myers asks Susan what her favorite food is. Susan answers, "Spaghetti." This is an example of a (n):

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mr. Myers asks Susan what her favorite...

Question 12

Fiona cannot independently open her lunchbox. It is lunch time. The teacher closes the latch on Fiona's lunchbox and places it in front of Fiona. The teacher has manipulated the

Accepted Answer

The teacher's action of closing the latch on Fiona's lunchbox affects the establishing operation by making the ability to open the lunchbox more valuable or necessary for Fiona, as it is now lunchtime and she needs to access her food.

Question 13

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. What is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the combination of the DRI schedule and response blocking, which is applied first to head-banging and then to aggression. This is the variable that the researchers manipulate to see its effects on the participants' behavior. The other options (A, C, and D) are dependent variables, as they are being measured and recorded by the researchers to assess the effects of the independent variable.

Question 14

Having obtained appropriate consent, a behavior analyst wishes to communicate data to non-behavior analyst colleagues and family of the client. The most appropriate presentation strategy is:

Accepted Answer

Short video clips of client performance and line graphs are effective for communicating data to non-behavior analysts as they provide visual and straightforward representations of progress and behavior changes.

Question 15

Echoic behavior is controlled by a

Accepted Answer

Echoic behavior involves a verbal stimulus where the response matches that stimulus, and the reinforcer is non-specific, as it is primarily about the repetition of sounds or words.

Question 16

Tommy is looking at a photo album with his dad. He looks at his dad and then points to a picture of his mom and says, "Mommy." This is an example of.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a tact, which is when a person names or labels an object, action, event, or property of the environment. In this case, Tommy is labeling his mother in the picture.

Question 17

When demands are placed on Raoul, he is often observed to hit his head, bite his hand, or slap the therapist. These behaviors are reinforced by termination of the demands. Taken together, these behaviors comprise

Accepted Answer

The behaviors (hitting his head, biting his hand, slapping therapist) are all observable actions that serve the same function of terminating the demands placed on Raoul. As a result, these behaviors belong in the same functional response class. They are not examples of an establishing operation, which refers to a change in the environment that alters the value of a particular consequence or behavior. Nor are they respondent behaviors, which are reflexive responses to a specific stimulus. Finally, while these behaviors could be described as a topographical response class (i.e. they all share a similar physical form), the better answer is B because it accurately captures the behavioral function of the actions.

Question 18

In the past, Parnelli consistently drove at high speeds on city streets. However, he was pulled over and had to immediately pay a very expensive fine. Afterward, Parnelli very seldom drove at high rates of speed. Which of the following might account for the effect of the lost money resulting from paying the fine?

Accepted Answer

Negative punishment involved the removal of a desired stimulus, in this case, the money that Parnelli lost from paying the expensive fine. This led to a decrease in the behavior of driving at high speeds.

Question 19

The defining feature of operant conditioning, as contrasted with respondent conditioning, is that the probability of behavior in operant conditioning is changed because of

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning focuses on changing behavior through consequences (rewards and punishments), whereas respondent conditioning focuses on changing behavior through the pairing of stimuli. Therefore, the defining feature of operant conditioning is changes in consequences.

Question 20

A person engages in target behaviors in environments different from the original training environment. This is a demonstration of

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization occurs when a behavior is exhibited in environments different from the one where it was originally learned, indicating that the stimulus conditions have generalized beyond the training environment.

Exam 1: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst