ABA Data-Driven Decision Making 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A BCBA notices a client's data path has been flat for 3 consecutive weeks despite an intervention. According to data-based decision rules, what is the most appropriate action?
- Continue the intervention for at least 2 more weeks
- Modify or change the intervention (Correct answer)
- Increase session frequency only
- Collect additional baseline data
Correct answer: Modify or change the intervention
Three consecutive data points showing no improvement (a flat trend) is a common decision rule indicating the intervention should be modified or changed.
Question 2: Which graphing convention is used in ABA to visually separate baseline and intervention phases?
- A dashed horizontal line
- A vertical phase change line (Correct answer)
- A diagonal trendline
- A shaded region
Correct answer: A vertical phase change line
Vertical phase change lines are the standard ABA convention to separate and clearly distinguish different experimental phases on a graph.
Question 3: When calculating the mean of a data set for a phase, which measure is being computed?
- The most frequently occurring data point
- The middle value when data are ranked
- The arithmetic average of all data points (Correct answer)
- The difference between the highest and lowest values
Correct answer: The arithmetic average of all data points
The mean is the arithmetic average, calculated by summing all values and dividing by the number of data points.
Question 4: A practitioner plots data on a standard celeration chart. What does 'celeration' specifically measure?
- The absolute count of responses per session
- The rate of change in frequency over time (Correct answer)
- The percentage of correct responses
- The duration of each response
Correct answer: The rate of change in frequency over time
Celeration is the rate of change (acceleration or deceleration) in response frequency across time, which is the primary metric of the Standard Celeration Chart.
Question 5: An ABA team is using a criterion-referenced decision rule. The goal is 80% accuracy for 3 consecutive sessions. The client scores 82%, 79%, 84%. Has the criterion been met?
- Yes, because the average across sessions exceeds 80%
- No, because the second session fell below 80% (Correct answer)
- Yes, because two out of three sessions met criterion
- No, because five sessions are required for criterion
Correct answer: No, because the second session fell below 80%
A consecutive sessions rule requires all specified sessions to meet criterion; one session below 80% breaks the consecutive requirement.
Question 6: Which data display method is best suited for comparing a client's performance across multiple different skill domains simultaneously?
- A cumulative record
- A multiple baseline graph
- A bar graph (Correct answer)
- A scatterplot
Correct answer: A bar graph
Bar graphs allow side-by-side visual comparison of performance levels across multiple distinct categories or skill domains.
Question 7: A behavior analyst uses the split-middle method to draw a trend line. What is the first step in this procedure?
- Calculate the mean of all data points
- Divide the phase data into two equal halves (Correct answer)
- Identify the highest and lowest data points
- Plot the median of the entire phase
Correct answer: Divide the phase data into two equal halves
The split-middle method begins by dividing the data set into two equal halves before finding the median of each half to establish the trend line.
ABA Data-Driven Decision Making 2
A BCBA notices a client's data path has been flat for 3 consecutive weeks despite an intervention.
According to data-based decision rules, what is the most appropriate action?