Question 1

An extinction procedure involves:

Accepted Answer

Extinction involves withholding the specific reinforcer that maintains the target behavior, leading to a decrease in that behavior over time.

Question 2

Which characteristic of the response measure shown in this graph changed from baseline during the intervention phase?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which characteristic of the response measure shown...

Question 3

The rehabilitation therapist wants to determine if the sensory integration sessions are helping to reduce Ed's hand-slapping. What is the BEST method for recording momentary time-sampling data?

Accepted Answer

Momentary time-sampling involves recording whether a behavior occurs at the specific moment an interval ends. Option A correctly describes this method by checking at the end of each 3-minute interval.

Question 4

Once a stimulus has been determined to function as a reinforcer in a particular contingency, which of the following is likely to be true?

Accepted Answer

The effect of the reinforcer may strengthen with relevant deprivation. This is because when a person is deprived of a particular item or activity, they may find it more reinforcing once it becomes available. Adjusting the reinforcer or using it with others in the environment may not necessarily have an impact on its reinforcing properties. The use of a variable interval schedule may actually strengthen the effect of the reinforcer, rather than weaken it.

Question 5

Unwanted side-effects associated with the use of an extinction procedure are MOST likely to appear:

Accepted Answer

Unwanted side-effects associated with the use of an extinction procedure are likely to appear shortly after the procedure is first implemented. This is because the individual may become frustrated or agitated when their previously reinforced behavior is no longer being rewarded. However, it is important to note that unwanted side-effects may also appear during the extinction burst (A) or when ratio schedules are increased too rapidly (C), but these are not the MOST likely times for side-effects to occur. The answer B is not a likely time for side-effects to occur as it is not related to the implementation of the extinction procedure.

Question 6

In order to obtain the GREATEST increase in the value of an identified reinforcer after satiation has occurred, the behavior analyst should.

Accepted Answer

Satiation occurs when the individual has consumed or experienced a sufficient amount of the reinforcer, making it less valuable or reinforcing. To obtain the greatest increase in the value of the reinforcer after satiation has occurred, the behavior analyst should temporarily remove the reinforcer. This allows the individual to experience deprivation and increases the value of the reinforcer, making it more reinforcing when reintroduced.

Question 7

A behavior analyst is conducting research on the accuracy of a student's responding to written math problems based on the final answer with no scoring of intermediate calculations. Which is the BEST method for obtaining accurate inter-observer agreement results?

Accepted Answer

The best method for obtaining accurate inter-observer agreement results is to use independent scoring. This ensures that the observer is not influenced by the researcher's scoring and reduces the potential for bias. Photocopies of the student's work allow for easy comparison of scores between the researcher and observer. Option A may lead to influencing the observer, and option C may be inefficient if there are disagreements on many problems. Option D may not be reliable as the observer is not independently scoring the work.

Question 8

A child's behavior is being reinforced on a VR 8 schedule during intensive teaching. During the sessions, the child begins to get out of the chair. In order to address this problem, the behavior analyst should switch to which schedule?

Accepted Answer

VR 4 is a more frequent schedule of reinforcement than VR 8, so it is more likely to maintain the child's behavior in the chair.

Question 9

Which does NOT increase the effectiveness of punishment?

Accepted Answer

Intermittent delivery of the punisher does not increase the effectiveness of punishment; consistent and immediate punishment is more effective.

Question 10

Jimmy is watching his favorite Saturday morning cartoon and playing with his train set. The cat walks past him and he pulls its tail. Jimmy's mother takes away one of his train cars. This is an example of.

Accepted Answer

Taking away one of Jimmy's train cars is an example of response cost, which involves removing a preferred item or activity as a consequence for a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

Question 11

What does this graph depict?

Accepted Answer

The graph depicts the data path (i.e. the trend), as well as the variability of the response measure over time. The current level is not explicitly shown, and stability is not clearly indicated. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 12

To definitively identify effective reinforcers for an individual, it is necessary to:

Accepted Answer

A reinforcer assessment is used to determine if a stimulus functions as a reinforcer by measuring its effect on behavior, thus identifying effective reinforcers.

Question 13

The response rate for this cumulative record would BEST be described as:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The response rate for this cumulative record...

Question 14

This graph BEST exemplifies:

Accepted Answer

The graph shows a change in the level between baseline and intervention phases, indicating a shift in the data points' average value after the intervention.

Question 15

A punishment contingency is LEAST likely to produce which effect?

Accepted Answer

Punishment contingencies are less likely to lead to the development of more appropriate replacement behaviors, as they primarily focus on reducing or eliminating undesirable behaviors rather than teaching or reinforcing positive alternatives.

Question 16

If a client exhibits problem behaviors throughout the day and evenings regardless of what is going on in the environment and what activities he/she is participating in, which would be the BEST way to reduce the high frequency and increase latency?

Accepted Answer

Using a differential reinforcement procedure for the absence of problem behaviors would focus on reinforcing positive behaviors instead of punishing negative behaviors. This approach has been shown to be more effective in reducing problem behaviors over the long term. Additionally, using a high magnitude reinforcer as a reward can increase the client's motivation to exhibit the positive behavior.

Question 17

The reinforcement schedule that produces a high steady rate of responding is:

Accepted Answer

VR (variable ratio) is the reinforcement schedule that produces a high steady rate of responding. This is because the reinforcement is delivered after a variable number of responses, making it unpredictable and more motivating for the individual to continue responding quickly and consistently.

Question 18

Wilma argues with her coworker, who shares the same workstation. Even though Wilma and her coworker can articulate the workplace rules, repeated instructions to cease this behavior have gone unheeded and they are becoming enemies. What would be the MOST appropriate antecedent-based solution?

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate antecedent-based solution would be to assign Wilma to a different workstation to avoid any further conflict with her coworker. This solution removes the antecedent (i.e. the coworker) that is initiating the unwanted behavior, which should mitigate any arguments or disagreements between the two coworkers in the future.

Question 19

An experimental design that starts with a baseline phase, followed by a treatment phase, then another baseline phase, and ends in the same type of treatment phase is called a (n):

Accepted Answer

A reversal design, also known as an ABAB design, involves alternating between baseline and treatment phases to assess the effect of the treatment.

Question 20

A teacher is tracking the performance of both math and spelling assignments for each of her 25 students. For feedback purposes, she wishes to display each student's percent correct for both areas using a line graph. What would be the MOST effective and efficient way to accomplish this?

Accepted Answer

Preparing a separate graph for each student allows for clear visualization of individual performance in both math and spelling, using unique symbols to differentiate between the two areas.

Exam 1: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst