Behavioral Principles and Concepts Flashcards
7 cards from real ABA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Behavioral Principles and Concepts flashcards as text
When the same topographically different responses all produce the same outcome, this is called:
Answer: Response generalization
Response generalization occurs when a variety of different responses, all different in form, produce the same reinforcing outcome.
A fixed interval schedule produces which characteristic pattern of responding?
Answer: Scallop pattern — slow at start, accelerating near the end
Fixed interval schedules produce a scallop pattern where responding pauses after reinforcement then accelerates as the interval end approaches.
In differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), reinforcement is delivered when:
Answer: The problem behavior has not occurred for a specified time period
DRO delivers reinforcement contingent on the absence of the target problem behavior for a specified interval of time.
Which concept explains why a child who has learned to request a break card in therapy may resist using it on the playground?
Answer: Generalization decrement
Generalization decrement occurs when behavior trained in one setting fails to occur in new settings due to differences in stimulus conditions.
The term 'contiguity' in conditioning refers to:
Answer: The temporal closeness between a behavior and its consequence
Contiguity refers to the temporal relationship between a behavior (or stimulus) and a consequence — closer in time generally produces stronger conditioning.
Which of the following describes 'negative contrast' in behavioral terms?
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.
Unconditioned reinforcers differ from conditioned reinforcers in that unconditioned reinforcers:
Answer: Do not require learning history to function as reinforcers
Unconditioned (primary) reinforcers are biologically determined and reinforce behavior without prior learning, such as food, water, and warmth.