ABAT - Applied Behavior Analysis Core ABA Principles Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: The term 'behavior' in ABA is defined as:

Any internal mental event occurring in the brain
Any activity of an organism that can be measured and observed (Correct answer)
Only problematic or maladaptive responses
Social interactions exclusively

Correct answer: Any activity of an organism that can be measured and observed

ABA defines behavior broadly as any observable and measurable activity of a living organism, including verbal, motor, and physiological responses.

In ABA, behavior is defined as any activity of an organism that can be directly observed or measured. This includes overt behaviors (e.g., speaking, walking, hitting) and covert behaviors (e.g., thinking, feeling) that can be operationalized and measured indirectly. The emphasis on observable and measurable behavior distinguishes ABA from cognitive or psychodynamic approaches. This definition is foundational to applied behavior analysis because it ensures that targets are objective and data collection is reliable.

Question 2: A behavior that is maintained by escape from an aversive stimulus is operating under which type of reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement (Correct answer)
Positive punishment
Negative punishment

Correct answer: Negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement increases the future probability of a behavior by removing or avoiding an aversive stimulus contingent on that behavior.

Negative reinforcement involves the removal, reduction, or avoidance of an aversive stimulus following a behavior, which increases the future probability of that behavior. Escape-maintained behaviors occur when engaging in the behavior terminates the aversive condition (e.g., a student screams and is allowed to leave class, increasing screaming). Avoidance behaviors prevent the aversive stimulus from occurring at all. Both escape and avoidance are forms of negative reinforcement. Recognizing this function is critical for designing effective interventions.

Question 3: The seven dimensions of ABA, as outlined by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968), include all of the following EXCEPT:

Applied
Behavioral
Analytical
Theoretical (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Theoretical

The seven dimensions are Applied, Behavioral, Analytic, Technological, Conceptually Systematic, Effective, and Generality — 'Theoretical' is not one of them.

Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) defined ABA by seven dimensions: Applied (socially significant behavior), Behavioral (focuses on observable behavior), Analytic (demonstrates functional control), Technological (procedures are clearly described), Conceptually Systematic (linked to basic principles), Effective (produces meaningful improvements), and Generality (behavior changes persist and transfer). These dimensions provide the framework for evaluating whether a practice qualifies as ABA. 'Theoretical' is not a dimension; in fact, ABA is explicitly empirical rather than theoretical.

Question 4: A functional relation in ABA is established when:

Two behaviors are correlated
Repeated demonstrations show that the independent variable reliably produces changes in the dependent variable (Correct answer)
A learner reports that a strategy helps them
Norm-referenced tests show improvement

Correct answer: Repeated demonstrations show that the independent variable reliably produces changes in the dependent variable

A functional relation (experimental control) is established through repeated demonstrations that manipulating the independent variable changes the dependent variable.

A functional relation is a cause-and-effect relationship between an independent variable (intervention) and a dependent variable (target behavior). In single-case experimental designs, it is established through repeated demonstrations that the behavior changes when and only when the intervention is introduced (and reverses when removed). This is the 'analytic' dimension of ABA — the behavior analyst must demonstrate experimental control. Merely observing that two events co-occur is correlation, not a functional relation.

Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the principle of reinforcement?

Any event following a behavior increases that behavior's future frequency
A stimulus change following a behavior that increases the future probability of that behavior (Correct answer)
The removal of an event that decreases a behavior's future frequency
The delivery of an aversive event to suppress behavior

Correct answer: A stimulus change following a behavior that increases the future probability of that behavior

Reinforcement is defined by its effect: it is a stimulus change occurring after a behavior that increases the future probability of that behavior.

Reinforcement is defined functionally, not subjectively. It is a stimulus change (addition or removal) that follows a behavior and increases the future probability of that behavior in similar circumstances. Whether reinforcement has occurred can only be confirmed by observing that the behavior increases in frequency. Something assumed to be rewarding may not actually be reinforcing if the behavior does not increase. This functional definition distinguishes ABA from approaches that assume events are rewarding based on face value.

Question 6: Punishment in ABA is defined as:

Any painful consequence delivered after a behavior
A stimulus change following a behavior that decreases the future probability of that behavior (Correct answer)
Always requiring physical discomfort
The removal of a positive reinforcer only

Correct answer: A stimulus change following a behavior that decreases the future probability of that behavior

Punishment is functionally defined as a stimulus change following a behavior that decreases that behavior's future probability — it may be aversive or pleasant but must reduce behavior.

Punishment, like reinforcement, is defined by its function — it is a consequence that decreases the future frequency of the behavior it follows. Positive punishment adds an aversive stimulus; negative punishment removes a reinforcing stimulus. Neither form requires physical discomfort; the defining feature is the observable reduction in the target behavior. Understanding this functional definition prevents misapplication of the term and helps distinguish true punishment from ineffective consequences that don't actually change behavior.

ABAT - Applied Behavior Analysis Core ABA Principles Questions and Answers 2

The term 'behavior' in ABA is defined as: