Question 1

Missy has learned that if she is thirsty and wants juice, she says, "Juice" and gets juice. The connection between saying "Juice" and receiving juice is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

The connection between saying "Juice" and getting juice is a functional relationship because it serves a specific function or purpose for Missy (quenching her thirst). It is not a behavior chain because it involves only one behavior, not a sequence of behaviors. It is not an establishing operation because it does not alter the value of a particular consequence. Finally, it is not respondent conditioning because it does not involve a reflexive response to a particular stimulus.

Question 2

A behavior analyst has taught a student to look at the teacher when the teacher is speaking. Later, the student is observed looking at a classmate when the classmate is speaking. The student looking at the classmate is a result of.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization occurs when a behavior is exhibited in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the original discriminative stimulus. In this case, the student has generalized the behavior of looking at the teacher when they speak to looking at a classmate when they speak, likely because they perceive the classmate's speech as a similar stimulus to the teacher's speech.

Question 3

Specifying the hand with which Linda eats, writes, and works is an example of.

Accepted Answer

Specifying the hand with which Linda performs certain actions is describing the physical characteristics or topography of the response. Therefore, the correct answer is response topography. Response function refers to the relationship between a behavior and its consequences or effect on the environment. An operant class refers to a group of behaviors that produce similar consequences or effects, while a stimulus class refers to a group of stimuli that share similar characteristics and can evoke the same response.

Question 4

What must happen for an alternating-treatments design to be optimally effective?

Accepted Answer

To obtain appropriate outcomes from an alternating-treatments design, participants must be able to easily distinguish between the distinct phases of the experiment. This enables them to identify the connection between the treatment and the resulting behavior, which is necessary for the experiment to be effective. If they are unable to differentiate between treatment modalities, outcomes may be skewed or inconclusive.

Question 5

A verbal response to a verbal stimulus where the correspondence between stimulus and response is arbitrary and derived from the verbal community is:

Accepted Answer

A verbal response to a verbal stimulus where the correspondence between stimulus and response is arbitrary and derived from the verbal community is an example of an intraverbal behavior. In intraverbal behavior, the verbal behavior is not controlled by nonverbal aspects of the environment or by the speaker's own prior verbal behavior.

Question 6

A child touching a hot stove immediately withdraws his hand. In the future, the child avoids touching the stove. Avoiding the stove is an example of.

Accepted Answer

The child's behavior of avoiding touching the stove is an example of operant behavior because it is a voluntary action that has been shaped by the consequences of touching the stove. The immediate withdrawal of the hand after touching the stove is an example of respondent behavior, which is an automatic reflexive response to a specific stimulus. The stove itself could be seen as an establishing operation, which is a stimulus that alters the value of a consequence and affects the likelihood of behavior. Punishment would involve something unpleasant happening after the behavior that would decrease the likelihood of the behavior happening again, but the child's avoidance of the stove is not a punishment.

Question 7

A behavior analyst is developing a generalization procedure for a newly mastered response. What strategy should be included in the procedure?

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement is a key strategy in promoting generalization by encouraging the occurrence of the desired behavior in various settings and situations.

Question 8

A mand is:

Accepted Answer

A mand is a verbal operant which specifies its reinforcer. This means that a mand is a verbal response that is controlled by a specific consequence or reinforcer. The individual uses language to communicate their wants and needs in order to obtain a specific item or activity. Therefore, choice B is the best answer.

Question 9

Jim is preparing his doctoral dissertation in applied behavior analysis for publication in a scientific journal. The editors, in their instructions sent to authors, have indicated that all of the procedures employed in the study must be thoroughly described in order for the article to be accepted. Which dimension of applied behavior analysis BEST supports this requirement?

Accepted Answer

The technological dimension of applied behavior analysis emphasizes the development and precise description of procedures used in interventions. In order to meet the editors' requirement of thoroughly describing all procedures in the study, Jim needs to pay careful attention to this dimension.

Question 10

A change in which of the following could NOT function as a stimulus for triggering an episode of aggression in a student?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A change in which of the following...

Question 11

A behavior analyst is doing some staff training in a facility. The first step is to have the staff read a "How To" manual. The behavior analyst notices that after reading the manual, staff seem to be doing some things specified in the readings, such as giving praise after adaptive behavior. This is an example of.

Accepted Answer

The staff reading the manual and then implementing the specified behaviors is an example of rule-governed behavior. The manual outlined specific rules for behavior and the staff followed those rules, indicating they were guided by verbal rules rather than environmental contingencies.

Question 12

A reversal design does NOT permit an evaluation of an intervention for:

Accepted Answer

A reversal design is not suitable for evaluating interventions for skills like reading acquisition because once a skill is learned, it cannot be unlearned or reversed, making it impossible to return to a baseline condition.

Question 13

When a child is taught to perform a certain behavior in the presence of certain specific stimuli, and not in the presence of other stimuli, this procedure is called.

Accepted Answer

This procedure is called stimulus discrimination learning, as the child is learning to discriminate between the specific stimuli in which the behavior should be performed and other stimuli in which it should not be performed. Discrete trial training (A) refers to a teaching method that breaks down complex skills into smaller, more manageable steps. Controlling stimulus training (B) is not a commonly used term in behavior analysis. Conditioned stimulus learning (C) refers to the process of learning to respond to a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus) as though it were a meaningful stimulus (unconditioned stimulus) due to repeated pairing.

Question 14

A behavior analyst and others are planning to identify long term outcomes for Mike. Assuming all of the following are relevant to Mike, which is the BEST long term outcome?

Accepted Answer

Out of the given options, choice C is the best long term outcome for Mike as it focuses on developing his independence, social skills, and community inclusion. Playing a board game or brushing teeth with accuracy can be important skills, but they are not as significant as being able to participate in social activities with friends. Similarly, speaking at an audible level is important, but it may not be the most critical goal for Mike's long-term success.

Question 15

One benefit of completing a descriptive analysis regarding a student's in-school behavior is that it:

Accepted Answer

Completing a descriptive analysis provides essential information not available through other means, such as identifying specific antecedents and consequences related to the behavior. This information can help inform behavior intervention plans and support student success in the classroom.

Question 16

Mark is a 28-year-old man with multiple physical disabilities. The doctor and physical therapist have recommended a variety of positions to benefit Mark's overall health. When Mark is placed in a prescribed position, he yells, arches his back, and bites his wrist. Subsequently, Mark slips out of position. The behavior analyst seeks to help Mark tolerate his positions. Which statement BEST defines a treatment goal?

Accepted Answer

The goal should focus on Mark maintaining the recommended positions for the prescribed amount of time, which addresses the overall objective of benefiting his health.

Question 17

Abigale is in her preschool classroom where she sees a toy named Elmo on a shelf and then says, "Elmo." No one drew her attention to Elmo. This is an example of a (n):

Accepted Answer

Abigale's saying "Elmo" upon seeing the toy on the shelf is an example of a tact, in which an individual emits a verbal response to describe a nonverbal stimulus.

Question 18

When LeRoy sees his father arrive home, he begins to clean his room. Given this information, we can conclude ONLY that the father's arrival is:

Accepted Answer

The father's arrival is an antecedent because it precedes the behavior of cleaning the room.

Question 19

Which of the following would MOST clearly demonstrate a functional relationship?

Accepted Answer

Option C involves executing repeated rapid alternations between different environmental conditions and collecting and graphing data. This is a clear demonstration of a functional relationship as it allows for the identification of the effect of environmental conditions on the target behavior. Options A, B, and D involve data collection methods, but do not involve deliberate manipulations of environmental conditions to establish a functional relationship.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of conditioned punishment?

Accepted Answer

Conditioned punishment involves pairing an aversive stimulus with a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior in the future. In this case, the teacher's verbal reprimand serves as the aversive stimulus and it is paired with Lucy's behavior of speaking out without raising her hand. As a result, Lucy is less likely to engage in this behavior in the future.

Exam 1: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst