ABA Applied Behavior Analysis Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: In a natural language paradigm, reinforcement is delivered:

Via token exchange following every correct answer
Directly and naturally related to the response (e.g., getting the named toy) (Correct answer)
After a fixed interval regardless of response quality
Only through edible reinforcers for early learners

Correct answer: Directly and naturally related to the response (e.g., getting the named toy)

Natural language paradigms use direct, naturally related reinforcement — requesting a ball results in getting the ball — which increases motivation and promotes generalization.

Question 2: A BCBA should document supervisory activities because:

Documentation is only required for supervisees who fail competency checks
Documentation is optional but encouraged for organizational purposes
BACB only requires documentation for group supervision sessions
BACB certification renewal requires proof of supervision provided and received (Correct answer)

Correct answer: BACB certification renewal requires proof of supervision provided and received

BACB requires behavior analysts to maintain documentation of supervision activities as part of certification renewal requirements and ethical accountability.

Question 3: Which procedure involves teaching the learner to perform the skill across all stimulus variations that exist in the natural environment?

Common stimuli programming
General case programming (Correct answer)
Token economy fading
Multiple schedule training

Correct answer: General case programming

General case programming systematically samples the full range of teaching examples and non-examples from the natural universe of stimuli and responses to ensure broad generalization.

Question 4: When FBA results indicate that problem behavior is maintained by escape from demands, which intervention strategy is most function-matched?

Removing all demands from the individual's daily schedule indefinitely
Providing attention contingent on problem behavior to increase social motivation
Increasing task difficulty to strengthen the individual's tolerance for demands
Using extinction by preventing escape while teaching a functional communication response for breaks (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Using extinction by preventing escape while teaching a functional communication response for breaks

For escape-maintained behavior, function-matched intervention includes extinction (preventing escape from demands) combined with FCT to teach an appropriate way to request a break, addressing both the maintaining variable and skill deficit.

Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)?

To identify the function or purpose that a problem behavior serves for an individual (Correct answer)
To determine the severity of a problem behavior using standardized rating scales
To diagnose the underlying psychological disorder causing the behavior
To develop a written behavior intervention plan for school settings

Correct answer: To identify the function or purpose that a problem behavior serves for an individual

An FBA identifies the environmental variables (antecedents and consequences) that maintain problem behavior, revealing its function so interventions can be function-based.

Question 6: A tact is a verbal operant that is primarily under the control of:

A non-verbal antecedent stimulus in the environment (Correct answer)
Another person's verbal behavior
A motivating operation
Generalized conditioned reinforcement only

Correct answer: A non-verbal antecedent stimulus in the environment

A tact is a verbal response under the control of a non-verbal discriminative stimulus (an object, event, or property) and is maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement.

Question 7: A behavior analyst notices variability in their data. Which visual analysis feature reflects the degree of data point variability within a phase?

Level
Overlap
Variability (Correct answer)
Trend

Correct answer: Variability

Variability describes how much individual data points deviate around the phase's central value or trend line.

Question 8: Which data collection method involves recording whether a behavior occurred at least once during an observation interval?

Momentary time sampling
Frequency recording
Whole interval recording
Partial interval recording (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Partial interval recording

Partial interval recording scores a behavior as occurred if it happens at any point within the interval, regardless of duration.

Question 9: A token economy uses tokens as:

Natural consequences of target behaviors
Unconditioned reinforcers delivered immediately
Aversive stimuli contingent on problem behavior
Conditioned generalized reinforcers exchangeable for backup reinforcers (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Conditioned generalized reinforcers exchangeable for backup reinforcers

Tokens are conditioned generalized reinforcers that acquire value through pairing with multiple backup reinforcers and can be exchanged for those reinforcers.

Question 10: Which of the following is a natural community of reinforcement that can help maintain a skill?

Token economy maintained indefinitely by the BCBA
Peer attention and social interaction maintaining conversation skills in school (Correct answer)
Continuous prompting across all settings
A dense CRF schedule implemented by parents at home

Correct answer: Peer attention and social interaction maintaining conversation skills in school

A natural community of reinforcement is a set of naturally occurring contingencies in the environment (like peer social reinforcement) that can sustain a skill independently of planned intervention.

Question 11: A BCBA wants to measure behavior magnitude. Which example best illustrates magnitude?

Loudness of a vocal outburst on a decibel scale (Correct answer)
Time between prompt and response
Whether behavior occurred in each interval
Number of times a student raises their hand

Correct answer: Loudness of a vocal outburst on a decibel scale

Magnitude refers to the intensity or force of a behavior, such as measuring loudness in decibels or pressure in pounds.

Question 12: 'Loose training' promotes generalization by:

Reducing prompt intensity rapidly
Making all training stimuli identical across sessions
Using only one reinforcer throughout training
Varying non-essential aspects of training (therapist, setting, materials) deliberately (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Varying non-essential aspects of training (therapist, setting, materials) deliberately

Loose training intentionally introduces variation in irrelevant dimensions of training stimuli (e.g., different rooms, trainers, materials) to broaden the stimulus control.

Question 13: Which of the following is an example of an intraverbal?

Pointing to a cat and saying 'Cat'
Answering 'Dogs' when asked 'Name an animal' (Correct answer)
Saying 'Cookie' to request a cookie
Repeating 'Ball' after hearing 'Ball'

Correct answer: Answering 'Dogs' when asked 'Name an animal'

Responding to 'Name an animal' with 'Dogs' is an intraverbal because the response is controlled by verbal behavior without point-to-point correspondence.

Question 14: A child sees a dog and spontaneously says 'Dog!' This is an example of which verbal operant?

Echoic
Tact (Correct answer)
Mand
Intraverbal

Correct answer: Tact

A tact is a verbal response controlled by a non-verbal stimulus (seeing the dog) and maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement (social praise).

Question 15: Self-management strategies support maintenance and generalization by:

Having therapists monitor behavior across all settings
Eliminating the need for any behavioral goals
Replacing function-based interventions with self-report only
Teaching learners to monitor and reinforce their own behavior independently (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Teaching learners to monitor and reinforce their own behavior independently

Self-management trains learners to observe, record, and self-administer consequences for their own behavior, reducing dependence on external agents and supporting long-term maintenance.

Question 16: Booster sessions are used in maintenance programming to:

Replace all natural reinforcement with artificial reinforcement
Increase training intensity without fading prompts
Briefly re-expose learners to training conditions when performance has declined (Correct answer)
Conduct a new functional behavior assessment

Correct answer: Briefly re-expose learners to training conditions when performance has declined

Booster sessions briefly reinstate training procedures when maintenance probes show a decline in performance, helping restore the skill without starting full training from the beginning.

Question 17: Which verbal operant involves reading printed text aloud?

Intraverbal
Transcription
Textual (Correct answer)
Echoic

Correct answer: Textual

A textual response is controlled by a written verbal antecedent (text) and involves saying the word(s) aloud, with point-to-point correspondence to the written stimulus.

Question 18: When a supervisee is struggling with a procedure, the MOST appropriate supervisory response is to:

Use BST: re-explain, model the procedure, have them rehearse, and give feedback (Correct answer)
Document the failure and submit a report to the BACB immediately
Ignore the issue and check back after a few more sessions
Remove them from client contact immediately and permanently

Correct answer: Use BST: re-explain, model the procedure, have them rehearse, and give feedback

BST is the evidence-based method for building supervisee competence — re-teaching with modeling and rehearsal followed by feedback is the appropriate and effective supervisory response.

Question 19: Stimulus fading involves:

Increasing the delay between SD and prompt
Gradually changing the physical properties of a stimulus while maintaining stimulus control (Correct answer)
Reinforcing successive approximations to a target
Removing consequences for a target behavior

Correct answer: Gradually changing the physical properties of a stimulus while maintaining stimulus control

Stimulus fading systematically alters the characteristics (e.g., color, size, intensity) of a discriminative stimulus while keeping stimulus control intact.

Question 20: Which graph type is most commonly used to display continuous behavioral data over time in ABA?

Scatter plot
Simple line graph (Correct answer)
Bar graph
Pie chart

Correct answer: Simple line graph

Simple line graphs display data points connected sequentially, making it easy to visualize trends and changes in behavior over sessions.

Question 21: According to the BACB Ethics Code, behavior analysts must practice within their area of competence and seek additional training or supervision when:

Using any form of reinforcement-based procedure
Conducting preference assessments for the first time ever
Working in any school-based setting
Working with a new population or using unfamiliar techniques (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Working with a new population or using unfamiliar techniques

BCBAs must recognize the limits of their competence and obtain additional training, consultation, or supervision before working with new populations or applying unfamiliar procedures.

Question 22: Which strategy involves teaching a range of exemplars to promote generalization?

Indiscriminable contingencies
Common stimuli programming
Multiple exemplar training (Correct answer)
Loose training

Correct answer: Multiple exemplar training

Multiple exemplar training exposes the learner to many varied examples of a concept or stimulus class so the behavior generalizes broadly beyond training exemplars.

Question 23: According to Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, a mand is a verbal operant that:

Is controlled by a non-verbal discriminative stimulus
Is evoked by the verbal behavior of another person
Specifies its own reinforcer and is maintained by that specific reinforcement (Correct answer)
Is maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement

Correct answer: Specifies its own reinforcer and is maintained by that specific reinforcement

A mand is a verbal operant whose form specifies the reinforcer, and it is maintained by the specific reinforcer it requests (e.g., asking for water to get water).

Question 24: The BACB prohibits behavior analysts from engaging in which of the following?

Conducting preference assessments without parental consent
Writing behavioral goals without baseline data
Using reinforcement-based procedures without a behavior intervention plan
Dual relationships that might impair professional judgment or harm clients (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Dual relationships that might impair professional judgment or harm clients

BACB ethics code prohibits multiple relationships (dual roles) with clients because they can compromise objectivity, lead to exploitation, and harm client welfare.

Question 25: Generalization across settings is BEST promoted by:

Using the most intrusive prompts throughout training
Keeping all stimuli identical across sessions
Training across multiple environments from the start (Correct answer)
Only practicing in the original teaching environment

Correct answer: Training across multiple environments from the start

Teaching skills across varied settings, people, and materials from the outset promotes generalization by preventing narrow stimulus control.

Question 26: In forward chaining, the trainer:

Teaches the first step first and completes remaining steps for the learner (Correct answer)
Teaches the last step first
Teaches all steps simultaneously from the start
Teaches the easiest step regardless of position

Correct answer: Teaches the first step first and completes remaining steps for the learner

Forward chaining teaches the first step of the task analysis to criterion, with the trainer completing all subsequent steps until the learner masters each sequentially.

Question 27: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'instructive feedback'?

Correcting errors by repeating the SD
Reducing prompt intensity after correct responses
Presenting additional target information as a consequence following correct responses (Correct answer)
Providing negative feedback for incorrect answers

Correct answer: Presenting additional target information as a consequence following correct responses

Instructive feedback embeds additional learning targets (non-target information) as part of the consequence for correct responding, promoting efficient learning of multiple skills.

Question 28: A student learns to greet three different teachers and then greets all adults in school. This BEST illustrates:

A fixed ratio reinforcement schedule
Behavioral contrast
General case programming leading to generalization (Correct answer)
Extinction across settings

Correct answer: General case programming leading to generalization

General case programming involves training across enough exemplars to cover the full range of stimuli and responses in the natural environment, leading to broad generalization.

Question 29: The BACB's RBT Task List specifies which competencies?

The coursework required for BCBA certification
The ethical principles specific to supervisors only
The skills RBTs must demonstrate to become certified and maintain certification (Correct answer)
The research skills expected of doctoral-level behavior analysts

Correct answer: The skills RBTs must demonstrate to become certified and maintain certification

The RBT Task List outlines the specific skills and knowledge areas RBTs must demonstrate to obtain and maintain their certification under BCBA supervision.

Question 30: Which of the following BEST represents a continuous measurement method?

Partial interval recording
Momentary time sampling
Frequency recording of each response (Correct answer)
Whole interval recording

Correct answer: Frequency recording of each response

Frequency recording captures every instance of a behavior, making it a continuous (event-based) measurement method rather than a sample-based one.

Question 31: Which prompting type involves physically guiding the learner through the correct response?

Physical prompt (Correct answer)
Gestural prompt
Modeling prompt
Positional prompt

Correct answer: Physical prompt

A physical prompt involves the trainer physically guiding the learner's body through the correct response, and it is considered the most intrusive prompt type.

Question 32: In the ABCs of behavior analysis, what does the 'B' represent?

Background
Behavior (Correct answer)
Benefit
Baseline

Correct answer: Behavior

In the ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) model, 'B' stands for Behavior — the observable and measurable action that is being assessed.

Question 33: What is treatment integrity (procedural fidelity) in ABA?

The extent to which behavior change is socially meaningful
The degree to which a procedure is implemented as designed (Correct answer)
The consistency of reinforcement schedules across sessions
The accuracy of data collected by a second observer

Correct answer: The degree to which a procedure is implemented as designed

Treatment integrity refers to how accurately and consistently the planned intervention procedures are implemented, which directly affects whether behavioral outcomes are attributable to the intervention.

Question 34: Programming common stimuli is a strategy for promoting generalization that involves:

Including stimuli from the natural environment in training sessions (Correct answer)
Using the same reinforcer in training and in the natural setting
Reinforcing behavior only in the natural environment
Removing all prompts from training before natural environment practice

Correct answer: Including stimuli from the natural environment in training sessions

Programming common stimuli brings elements (people, materials, cues) from the natural environment into training so the behavior is more likely to transfer to that environment.

Question 35: In backward chaining, teaching begins with:

A randomly selected step
The most difficult step
The last step of the task analysis (Correct answer)
The first step of the task analysis

Correct answer: The last step of the task analysis

Backward chaining starts instruction with the final step of the chain, with the trainer completing all prior steps, so the learner always experiences the reinforcing end of the chain.

Question 36: A BCBA who does NOT maintain confidentiality of client records may be in violation of:

Only BACB Ethics Code, not HIPAA
Both BACB Ethics Code and HIPAA regulations (Correct answer)
Neither, since ABA records are exempt from confidentiality requirements
Only HIPAA, not BACB Ethics Code

Correct answer: Both BACB Ethics Code and HIPAA regulations

ABA practitioners must comply with both the BACB Ethics Code's confidentiality requirements and federal HIPAA regulations governing the privacy of protected health information.

Question 37: In ABA, 'spontaneous recovery' refers to:

A client independently generalizing a skill to a new setting
The natural recovery of a behavior after reinforcer satiation ends
A behavior reappearing after a rest period following extinction (Correct answer)
A sudden increase in a behavior after punishment is removed

Correct answer: A behavior reappearing after a rest period following extinction

Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior after a period of time has passed without conditioning trials.

Question 38: Which procedure would be MOST appropriate to use when a learner has plateaued and is not making progress?

Conduct a preference assessment and adjust the reinforcer (Correct answer)
Continue the same procedure without changes for more sessions
Remove all prompts immediately
Increase the number of mastered trials presented

Correct answer: Conduct a preference assessment and adjust the reinforcer

When progress stalls, re-assessing reinforcer preference and adjusting the reinforcement system is a data-driven way to reignite motivation and learning.

Question 39: Scatter plot assessments in ABA are used primarily to identify:

The appropriate reinforcer for a behavior
The function of a behavior
Temporal patterns related to when behaviors occur (Correct answer)
The topography of a behavior

Correct answer: Temporal patterns related to when behaviors occur

Scatter plots reveal patterns in when behaviors are more or less likely to occur throughout the day, helping identify environmental correlates.

Question 40: What is errorless teaching designed to prevent?

Learner errors during acquisition of new skills (Correct answer)
Prompt dependency in advanced learners
Generalization of skills to new settings
Reinforcement of correct responses

Correct answer: Learner errors during acquisition of new skills

Errorless teaching provides immediate, intrusive prompts so the learner always responds correctly, minimizing errors and the reinforcement of incorrect responses during acquisition.

Question 41: In discrete trial training (DTT), what is the correct sequence of components?

Response → SD → Reinforcement
Consequence → Antecedent → Behavior
SD → Response → Consequence (Correct answer)
Antecedent → Consequence → Response

Correct answer: SD → Response → Consequence

A discrete trial consists of a discriminative stimulus (SD), the learner's response, and the delivered consequence, in that order.

Question 42: Parsimony in behavior analysis means the analyst should:

Prefer the simplest sufficient explanation before invoking complex ones (Correct answer)
Prioritize mentalistic explanations when observable data are unclear
Select the most expensive evidence-based treatment
Apply multiple interventions simultaneously to ensure success

Correct answer: Prefer the simplest sufficient explanation before invoking complex ones

Parsimony directs scientists to accept the simplest explanation that adequately accounts for the observed data before adopting more complex alternatives.

Question 43: Which data display format is MOST appropriate for showing the proportion of time a learner spends in each of several mutually exclusive behavioral categories during an observation session?

Scatterplot with session number on the x-axis and rate on the y-axis
Pie chart or stacked bar chart showing percentage of total observation time (Correct answer)
Cumulative record plotted on semi-logarithmic paper
Standard line graph with separate paths for each category

Correct answer: Pie chart or stacked bar chart showing percentage of total observation time

Pie charts and stacked bar charts efficiently display proportional data, making them suitable for showing how total observation time is distributed across mutually exclusive categories.

Question 44: What term describes a verbal operant that is controlled by verbal antecedents and has point-to-point correspondence with those antecedents?

Tact
Intraverbal
Mand
Echoic (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Echoic

Echoics involve point-to-point correspondence between the verbal stimulus and the verbal response, distinguishing them from intraverbals which lack this correspondence.

Question 45: What characteristic involves using progressively stronger prompts until the target behavior occurs?

Least-to-most Prompting (Correct answer)
Most-to-least Prompting
The High-P Procedure
Graduated Guidance

Correct answer: Least-to-most Prompting

Explanation: <br> Least-to-most prompting involves starting with the least intrusive prompt and gradually increasing the intensity until the desired behavior occurs. This approach allows individuals to respond independently whenever possible before more assistance is provided.

Question 46: What is the PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) primarily designed to teach?

Mand behavior using picture cards as a communication modality (Correct answer)
Intraverbal behavior through visual supports
Tact behavior through non-vocal labeling
Echoic behavior through imitation of pictures

Correct answer: Mand behavior using picture cards as a communication modality

PECS teaches learners to initiate communication by handing picture cards to a communication partner in exchange for desired items or activities (mand function).

Question 47: Momentary time sampling is BEST suited for measuring behaviors that are:

Novel and low-frequency
Dangerous and high-rate
Ongoing or state behaviors (Correct answer)
Brief and discrete

Correct answer: Ongoing or state behaviors

Momentary time sampling records whether a behavior is occurring at the exact moment the interval ends, making it ideal for continuous, state-like behaviors.

Question 48: Progressive time delay involves:

Providing the prompt simultaneously with the SD initially
Gradually increasing the delay between the SD and the prompt across trials (Correct answer)
Removing prompts entirely after the first session
Using a fixed 5-second delay from the start

Correct answer: Gradually increasing the delay between the SD and the prompt across trials

Progressive time delay systematically increases the wait time between the SD and prompt delivery across trials, promoting independent responding.

Question 49: In an experimental functional analysis using Iwata et al.'s (1982/1994) methodology, which condition serves as the control?

Play/no-demand condition (Correct answer)
Demand condition
Alone condition
Attention condition

Correct answer: Play/no-demand condition

The play or no-demand condition serves as the control because it provides rich reinforcement (attention and preferred items) with no demands, resulting in low rates of problem behavior for comparison.

Question 50: What term describes the tendency for behavior reinforced in one situation to occur less often in a different, unmodified situation?

Behavioral Analysis
Behavioral Tendency
Time Constraint
Behavioral Contrast (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Behavioral Contrast

Explanation: <br> Behavioral contrast refers to the tendency for behavior that is reinforced and increased in one situation to occur less often in a different, unmodified situation. This phenomenon is important to consider when implementing behavior change interventions.

Question 51: Which teaching procedure is MOST commonly used to establish mand behavior in early language learners?

Engineering the environment to create establishing operations (Correct answer)
Using graduated guidance with physical prompts
Conducting massed intraverbal trials
Presenting visual schedules with matching objects

Correct answer: Engineering the environment to create establishing operations

Creating establishing operations (e.g., withholding preferred items) increases the motivational state for requesting and provides natural opportunities to teach mands.

Question 52: Which measure captures the total amount of time a behavior occurs within an observation period?

Duration (Correct answer)
Rate
Latency
Frequency

Correct answer: Duration

Duration recording measures the total elapsed time from the onset to the offset of a behavior across an observation period.

Question 53: A motivating operation (MO) that increases the reinforcing effectiveness of a stimulus and increases behavior that has produced that stimulus is called a(n):

Conditioned reinforcer
Abolishing operation (AO)
Discriminative stimulus
Establishing operation (EO) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Establishing operation (EO)

An establishing operation (EO) increases the value of a reinforcer and increases the frequency of behavior that has produced that reinforcer in the past.

Question 54: Which of the following BEST describes 'train and hope' as a generalization strategy?

Teaching behavior in one setting and hoping it generalizes without additional programming (Correct answer)
Fading prompts before moving to a new setting
Teaching across multiple settings from the start
Using natural reinforcers throughout training

Correct answer: Teaching behavior in one setting and hoping it generalizes without additional programming

'Train and hope' is a weak strategy where generalization is expected to occur naturally without systematic programming — it is generally ineffective for learners with ASD.

Question 55: What does 'celeration' refer to on a Standard Celeration Chart?

The rate of change in behavior frequency over time (Correct answer)
The duration of each behavior episode
The total frequency of behavior per session
The latency from SD to response

Correct answer: The rate of change in behavior frequency over time

Celeration is the rate of change in a behavior's frequency, indicating whether responding is accelerating or decelerating across time.

Question 56: Which of the following describes 'negative contrast' in behavioral terms?

A temporary increase in behavior during the extinction process
A decrease in responding on one schedule when a richer schedule is introduced concurrently (Correct answer)
An increase in problem behavior when punishment is removed
A reduction in reinforcer effectiveness due to satiation

Correct answer: A decrease in responding on one schedule when a richer schedule is introduced concurrently

Behavioral contrast (negative) occurs when introducing a richer reinforcement schedule in one context causes a decrease in responding in another context.

Question 57: Which of the following is an example of an ethical multiple relationship?

A BCBA who works with clients who have both ASD and ADHD
A BCBA who uses both DTT and naturalistic teaching with the same client
A BCBA who supervises two different RBTs at the same agency
A BCBA who provides ABA therapy to the child of a close personal friend (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A BCBA who provides ABA therapy to the child of a close personal friend

A multiple relationship exists when the BCBA has both a professional role and a personal relationship with the same individual, creating potential conflicts of interest or harm.

Question 58: Teaching a skill to fluency (high accuracy AND speed) is important for maintenance because:

Fluency eliminates the need for any reinforcement of the skill
Speed is more important than accuracy for all daily living skills
Fluent skills are more resistant to extinction and are more likely to compete with other behaviors (Correct answer)
Fluent skills require more structured practice sessions to maintain

Correct answer: Fluent skills are more resistant to extinction and are more likely to compete with other behaviors

Fluent performance is more durable, more likely to generalize, and better able to occur in competing or distracting environments, supporting long-term maintenance.

Question 59: A BCBA wants to measure the time between the end of one response and the beginning of the next. What is this called?

Inter-response time (IRT) (Correct answer)
Rate
Duration
Latency

Correct answer: Inter-response time (IRT)

Inter-response time (IRT) is the elapsed time between the end of one response and the onset of the next response.

Question 60: Which verbal operant is controlled by a verbal antecedent WITHOUT point-to-point correspondence?

Textual
Intraverbal (Correct answer)
Transcription
Echoic

Correct answer: Intraverbal

Intraverbals are controlled by another person's verbal behavior but the response does not match the form of the antecedent (e.g., answering 'What do you eat with?' with 'Fork').

Question 61: Stimulus control refers to:

The physical guidance used to prompt a response
The reinforcement of behavior across all conditions
The suppression of behavior by a punishing stimulus
A behavior occurring more frequently in the presence of a specific antecedent stimulus (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A behavior occurring more frequently in the presence of a specific antecedent stimulus

Stimulus control exists when a behavior reliably occurs in the presence of a discriminative stimulus (SD) and not in its absence.

Question 62: Which ethical obligation most directly constrains how long a researcher may maintain a participant in an ineffective baseline before beginning treatment?

The publication requirement for peer review
The need to obtain IRB approval before any observation
The requirement for informed assent from participants under 18
The principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence

Beneficence requires that researchers act in participants' best interests, limiting how long potentially harmful baselines can be sustained for experimental purposes.

Question 63: Behavior Skills Training (BST) used in supervision consists of which four components?

Planning, prompting, reinforcing, and extinguishing
Instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback (Correct answer)
Assessment, goal setting, data collection, and reporting
Lecturing, testing, observation, and grading

Correct answer: Instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback

BST is a training package consisting of instructions (describing the skill), modeling (demonstrating it), rehearsal (practice), and feedback (corrective and positive), which together build competence efficiently.

Question 64: When a behavior analyst uses a cumulative graph, the data line can:

Go up and down freely
Only go up or remain flat, never decrease (Correct answer)
Show rate automatically without calculation
Reset to zero each session

Correct answer: Only go up or remain flat, never decrease

Cumulative records add each new data point to the previous total, so the line never decreases unless the behavior rate drops to zero.

Question 65: When is it appropriate for a BCBA to share client information without consent?

Whenever it would benefit the client's treatment program
Whenever another professional requests it for any reason
When required by law or to prevent serious harm to the client or others (Correct answer)
Only when the client is under 18 years of age

Correct answer: When required by law or to prevent serious harm to the client or others

Confidentiality may be breached only in legally mandated situations (e.g., mandated reporting of abuse) or when necessary to prevent serious and imminent harm.

Question 66: A motivating operation (MO) affects verbal behavior by:

Altering the reinforcing value of a stimulus and the frequency of behavior related to that stimulus (Correct answer)
Establishing a new conditioned reinforcer
Removing all consequences for the verbal response
Providing a discriminative stimulus for a specific response

Correct answer: Altering the reinforcing value of a stimulus and the frequency of behavior related to that stimulus

MOs have two effects: they alter how reinforcing a consequence is (value-altering effect) and they change the current frequency of behaviors that produce that consequence (behavior-altering effect).

Question 67: A BCBA providing supervision to an RBT must ensure that the supervision meets what minimum percentage of the RBT's work hours per month?

15%
2%
10%
5% (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 5%

BACB standards require that BCBAs provide at least 5% of the RBT's total work hours per month in supervision, with at least half delivered in individual (one-on-one) format.

Question 68: Under the BACB Ethics Code, behavior analysts must report concerns about a colleague's unethical behavior by:

Immediately reporting to BACB before speaking to the colleague
Ignoring the behavior if it does not affect their own clients
Only reporting if the behavior results in client injury
First attempting to resolve the issue directly with the colleague if appropriate (Correct answer)

Correct answer: First attempting to resolve the issue directly with the colleague if appropriate

BACB ethics guidelines recommend attempting to resolve ethical concerns directly with the colleague first (when appropriate) before escalating to the BACB or other authorities.

Question 69: A therapist records the time from the presentation of a discriminative stimulus to the beginning of the learner's response. This is called:

Latency (Correct answer)
Inter-response time
Magnitude
Duration

Correct answer: Latency

Latency measures the elapsed time between the onset of an antecedent stimulus and the start of the target response.

Question 70: The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) is primarily used to:

Determine appropriate punishment procedures
Assess and track language and learning milestones in children with autism (Correct answer)
Measure the frequency of problem behaviors
Identify the function of escape-maintained behaviors

Correct answer: Assess and track language and learning milestones in children with autism

The VB-MAPP assesses verbal behavior, language, and learning skills in children with language delays and is used to guide intervention priorities.

Question 71: Which of the following ethical obligations does a BCBA have when accepting a client?

Accept all clients referred regardless of competence area
Immediately refer all new clients to another provider for initial assessment
Require clients to have a prior diagnosis before beginning services
Only accept clients for whom they can provide competent services (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Only accept clients for whom they can provide competent services

BCBAs must only agree to provide services for which they have the training, resources, and competence to deliver effectively and safely.

Question 72: What is the defining feature of total task chaining?

Only the last step is taught first
The learner attempts every step of the chain during each teaching session (Correct answer)
Steps are taught in random order
Only the first step is taught until mastered

Correct answer: The learner attempts every step of the chain during each teaching session

Total task chaining has the learner practice all steps of the task analysis during every session, receiving assistance only on steps not yet mastered.

Question 73: The listener repertoire in verbal behavior refers to:

The ability to echo what others say
The speaker's production of verbal responses
How a person responds appropriately to the verbal behavior of others (Correct answer)
The mand repertoire of a language learner

Correct answer: How a person responds appropriately to the verbal behavior of others

Listener behavior involves responding to the verbal behavior of others, such as following instructions, pointing to named items, or complying with requests.

Question 74: Indiscriminable contingencies are used to promote maintenance by:

Making it unclear to the learner when reinforcement will or will not be delivered (Correct answer)
Using only extinction across all environments
Delivering reinforcement after every correct response
Removing all reinforcement in the natural environment

Correct answer: Making it unclear to the learner when reinforcement will or will not be delivered

When learners cannot discriminate between reinforcement and non-reinforcement conditions, they continue responding at high rates, supporting maintenance.

Question 75: What is the PRIMARY advantage of using permanent product recording?

It does not require direct observation during behavior (Correct answer)
It requires no baseline data
It measures behavior topography
It captures duration of each behavior

Correct answer: It does not require direct observation during behavior

Permanent product recording measures the tangible outcomes left by a behavior, allowing data to be collected without continuous direct observation.

Question 76: The Stokes and Baer (1977) article is foundational to generalization because it:

Introduced the concept of the three-term contingency in ABA
Identified eight strategies for promoting generalization and critiqued 'train and hope' (Correct answer)
Defined reinforcement schedules and their effects on response rate
Established the experimental methods used in single-subject design

Correct answer: Identified eight strategies for promoting generalization and critiqued 'train and hope'

Stokes and Baer's 1977 paper outlined eight specific strategies for programming generalization and highlighted that generalization must be actively planned, not passively hoped for.

ABA Applied Behavior Analysis Exam

The ABA Applied Behavior Analysis Exam assesses knowledge in behavior measurement and data collection, skill acquisition, verbal behavior, behavior reduction and ethics, generalization and maintenance, and professional conduct and supervision.

Questions

120 min

Time Limit

70%

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