ABAT - Applied Behavior Analysis Test Applied Behavior Analysis Prompting and Fading Procedures 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of prompt involves altering a physical dimension of the target stimulus itself (e.g., size, color, or intensity) rather than adding a separate cue?
- Response prompt
- Extra-stimulus prompt
- Within-stimulus prompt (Correct answer)
- Gestural prompt
Correct answer: Within-stimulus prompt
Within-stimulus prompts modify an attribute of the discriminative stimulus itself—such as enlarging the correct letter or making it brighter—so the relevant feature is embedded in the target rather than added alongside it. Extra-stimulus prompts, by contrast, are separate cues added to the environment.
Question 2: A behavior technician begins a trial by giving only a verbal instruction. If the learner does not respond correctly within 5 seconds, the BT adds a model prompt; if still incorrect, a partial physical prompt is delivered. This sequence describes:
- Most-to-least prompting
- Simultaneous prompting
- Least-to-most prompting (Correct answer)
- Graduated guidance
Correct answer: Least-to-most prompting
Least-to-most prompting starts with the least intrusive prompt (here, verbal) and escalates toward more intrusive prompts only after an error or non-response, minimizing unnecessary assistance.
Question 3: Progressive time delay differs from constant time delay primarily in that:
- Progressive time delay delivers the controlling prompt immediately on every trial
- The delay interval is increased gradually across sessions or trials rather than remaining at a fixed duration (Correct answer)
- Progressive time delay is used only for chained tasks
- Constant time delay begins with a 0-second delay and never changes
Correct answer: The delay interval is increased gradually across sessions or trials rather than remaining at a fixed duration
In progressive time delay the waiting interval is systematically increased in small steps (e.g., 0 s → 2 s → 4 s → 6 s) so the learner has progressively more opportunity to respond independently. Constant time delay fixes the interval after an initial 0-second phase.
Question 4: Graduated guidance is best characterized as:
- Delivering a full physical prompt on every trial and reducing it by a fixed percentage after a set number of correct responses
- Providing the least intrusive prompt first and escalating to more intrusive prompts only if an error occurs
- Physically guiding a learner through a task and adjusting the level of physical contact moment-to-moment based on the learner's responding (Correct answer)
- Presenting a model prompt followed by a time delay before delivering physical assistance
Correct answer: Physically guiding a learner through a task and adjusting the level of physical contact moment-to-moment based on the learner's responding
Graduated guidance is a dynamic, within-trial procedure in which the practitioner maintains enough physical contact to prevent errors but immediately fades (e.g., from hand-over-hand to shadowing) as the learner initiates correct movement, rather than following a predetermined prompt schedule.
Question 5: Simultaneous prompting differs from other prompt-fading strategies because it:
- Delivers the controlling prompt only after a delay interval to promote independent responding
- Begins with the most intrusive prompt and systematically removes it over sessions
- Presents the controlling prompt at the same moment as the discriminative stimulus on every instructional trial, with no opportunity for unprompted responding during training (Correct answer)
- Pairs a verbal prompt with a gestural prompt and fades each independently
Correct answer: Presents the controlling prompt at the same moment as the discriminative stimulus on every instructional trial, with no opportunity for unprompted responding during training
In simultaneous prompting the controlling prompt is delivered concurrently with the SD on every training trial, making errors nearly impossible; independent responding is assessed only during separate probe trials, not during training itself.
Question 6: A practitioner is fading a color overlay that was placed on the correct answer card to help a learner discriminate it from foils. She gradually reduces the intensity of the color across sessions until only the standard card remains. This best exemplifies:
- Response fading using a least-to-most hierarchy
- Within-stimulus fading of an extra-stimulus prompt (Correct answer)
- Transfer of stimulus control through graduated guidance
- Constant time delay with a controlling prompt
Correct answer: Within-stimulus fading of an extra-stimulus prompt
The color overlay is an extra-stimulus prompt (added to, not part of, the target stimulus). Gradually reducing its intensity is an example of stimulus fading applied to that extra-stimulus prompt, systematically transferring stimulus control to the natural discriminative stimulus.
ABAT - Applied Behavior Analysis Test Applied Behavior Analysis Prompting and Fading Procedures 1
Which type of prompt involves altering a physical dimension of the target stimulus itself (e.g., size, color, or intensity) rather than adding a separate cue?