BCAT Principles of ABA Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the best example of positive reinforcement?
- Giving a child a sticker for completing a puzzle. (Correct answer)
- Telling a child they don't have to do their chores because they finished their homework.
- Taking away a toy when a child misbehaves.
- Ignoring a child when they are whining for attention.
Correct answer: Giving a child a sticker for completing a puzzle.
Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. In this case, the sticker (a desirable stimulus) is given after the child completes the puzzle (the desired behavior).
Question 2: A technician is working with a client who often screams to get access to a preferred toy. The supervising BCBA has instructed the technician to no longer provide the toy when the client screams. This procedure is known as:
- Positive Punishment
- Negative Reinforcement
- Extinction (Correct answer)
- Shaping
Correct answer: Extinction
Extinction is the process of withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior to decrease the future likelihood of that behavior. Here, the reinforcement (access to the toy) is being withheld when the screaming behavior occurs.
Question 3: In the 3-term contingency (ABC model), what does the 'A' stand for?
- Assessment
- Antecedent (Correct answer)
- Attention
- Action
Correct answer: Antecedent
The 'A' in the ABC model of Applied Behavior Analysis stands for Antecedent. The antecedent is the event, action, or circumstance that occurs immediately before a behavior.
Question 4: A client is learning to wash their hands independently. The technician begins by physically guiding the client's hands through every step. Over time, the technician fades to lighter touch, then to a gesture, and finally, the client completes the task with only a verbal instruction. This process is an example of:
- Chaining
- Task Analysis
- Prompt Fading (Correct answer)
- Negative Punishment
Correct answer: Prompt Fading
Prompt fading is the systematic reduction of a prompt until it is no longer needed for the learner to perform the skill independently. The scenario describes moving from a more intrusive prompt (physical guidance) to a less intrusive prompt (verbal instruction).
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT one of the four primary functions of behavior in ABA?
- Escape/Avoidance
- Attention
- Retaliation (Correct answer)
- Access to Tangibles
Correct answer: Retaliation
The four commonly cited functions of behavior in ABA are: Escape/Avoidance, Attention, Access to Tangibles, and Automatic/Sensory Reinforcement. Retaliation is not considered a scientific function of behavior in this context.
Question 6: A motivating operation (MO) is an environmental variable that alters the:
- Physical appearance of the stimulus and the social setting.
- Reinforcing effectiveness of a stimulus and the frequency of behavior reinforced by that stimulus. (Correct answer)
- Topography of the behavior and the latency of the response.
- Schedule of reinforcement and the data collection procedure.
Correct answer: Reinforcing effectiveness of a stimulus and the frequency of behavior reinforced by that stimulus.
A motivating operation (MO) has two main effects: it alters the value or effectiveness of a reinforcer (value-altering effect) and it alters the frequency of the behavior that has been reinforced by that stimulus in the past (behavior-altering effect).
BCAT Principles of ABA Questions and Answers
Which of the following is the best example of positive reinforcement?