ABA Research, Analysis, and Intervention 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A behavior analyst calculates the percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) between baseline and treatment phases and obtains a value of 30%. This suggests the intervention is:
- Highly effective, with strong experimental control
- Questionable or ineffective, warranting reconsideration of the intervention (Correct answer)
- Moderately effective and likely appropriate to continue
- Ineffective only when behavior is measured with duration recording
Correct answer: Questionable or ineffective, warranting reconsideration of the intervention
PND below 50% is generally interpreted as indicating an ineffective intervention; 30% indicates most treatment data overlap with baseline, suggesting minimal impact.
Question 2: When planning a function-based intervention, identifying the 'setting event' is important because setting events:
- Are the immediate antecedents that directly precede the target behavior
- Alter the value of reinforcers and punishers, affecting the probability of behavior occurring (Correct answer)
- Serve as the consequences that maintain the target behavior over time
- Describe the topography and intensity of the behavior of interest
Correct answer: Alter the value of reinforcers and punishers, affecting the probability of behavior occurring
Setting events (establishing operations that occur distantly in time or context) alter the momentary value of reinforcers and punishers, thereby changing response probability.
Question 3: A BCBA conducting systematic direct observation uses momentary time sampling (MTS). Compared to whole-interval recording, MTS is considered more appropriate for behaviors that are:
- Very brief and high-frequency, such as eye blinks
- Moderate to long in duration, such as on-task behavior or engagement (Correct answer)
- Unsafe and require immediate termination upon occurrence
- Defined by a discrete onset with no clear offset
Correct answer: Moderate to long in duration, such as on-task behavior or engagement
MTS yields estimates closest to true duration for behaviors that last long enough to be captured at the end of each interval, such as sustained engagement.
Question 4: In applied behavior analysis, 'technological' as a characteristic of behavioral intervention means:
- The intervention uses electronic devices to deliver stimuli
- The procedures are described with enough detail that a trained reader can replicate them (Correct answer)
- The independent variable is derived from experimental laboratory research
- The intervention has demonstrated effectiveness across multiple participants
Correct answer: The procedures are described with enough detail that a trained reader can replicate them
Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) defined 'technological' as requiring procedures described precisely enough for any skilled reader to replicate them exactly.
Question 5: A researcher evaluates treatment outcomes using both statistical significance and effect size. The effect size measure most commonly reported in single-case ABA research is:
- Cohen's d
- Pearson r squared
- Tau-U (or Tau-nonoverlap) (Correct answer)
- Eta squared (η²)
Correct answer: Tau-U (or Tau-nonoverlap)
Tau-U (a non-overlap effect size that accounts for trend in baseline) is widely recommended and reported in single-case ABA research.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'functional equivalence' in the context of function-based intervention?
- Two behaviors that look identical in topography but serve different functions
- A replacement behavior that accesses the same reinforcer as the problem behavior, but in a socially acceptable way (Correct answer)
- Two reinforcers that produce the same rate of responding when offered concurrently
- A generalization procedure where skills transfer across functionally similar settings
Correct answer: A replacement behavior that accesses the same reinforcer as the problem behavior, but in a socially acceptable way
A functionally equivalent replacement behavior (FERB) achieves the same outcome (reinforcer) as the problem behavior, making it a direct, function-matched alternative.
Question 7: An analyst observes that after a successful ABAB reversal, the behavior does not fully return to baseline levels during the second A phase. The most likely explanation consistent with behavioral principles is:
- The graph scale was set incorrectly, inflating apparent performance
- Carryover effects or learning that cannot be fully undone by withdrawing the independent variable (Correct answer)
- The reversal phase was too short to produce valid data
- Observer drift caused inaccurate measurement during the second baseline
Correct answer: Carryover effects or learning that cannot be fully undone by withdrawing the independent variable
Some behaviors (especially those involving skill acquisition) do not fully reverse because learning has occurred, representing a carryover effect that limits the reversal design for those targets.
ABA Research, Analysis, and Intervention 5
A behavior analyst calculates the percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) between baseline and treatment phases and obtains a value of 30%.
This suggests the intervention is: