Skill Acquisition Programming Flashcards

A behavior analyst is programming skill acquisition for a learner with autism who has mastered tacting objects in a structured DTT context but fails to tact the same items during naturalistic routines. Which instructional decision BEST addresses this problem?

Answer: Implement a multiple exemplar instruction strategy across varied stimulus conditions, responses, and settings before declaring mastery

The learner demonstrates stimulus overselectivity or failure to generalize — the tact is under narrow stimulus control. Multiple Exemplar Instruction (MEI) across varied SDs, response topographies, and settings is the evidence-based procedure to establish generalized tacting. Re-teaching from baseline or adjusting reinforcement density does not address the generalization deficit structurally.

During skill acquisition programming, a BCBA specifies that a learner must reach '80% correct across 3 consecutive sessions with 2 different therapists' before advancing. This criterion primarily addresses which threat to meaningful skill acquisition?

Answer: Therapist-specific stimulus control and lack of response generalization

Requiring mastery with two different therapists directly tests whether the skill is under the control of the relevant discriminative stimuli or has become controlled by therapist-specific cues (a form of narrow stimulus control). This is a generalization check embedded in the mastery criterion, not a reliability or drift issue.

A skill acquisition program uses a 'most-to-least' prompting hierarchy. After several sessions the learner's correct responding remains high, but prompted responses have not decreased. The analyst suspects prompt dependency. Which intervention is MOST directly indicated?

Answer: Insert a brief delay between the SD and the prompt and differentially reinforce unprompted responses

Prompt dependency occurs when the prompt itself becomes an SD for responding rather than the natural cue. Inserting a time delay (progressive or constant) before delivering the prompt gives the learner the opportunity to respond independently, and differentially reinforcing those independent responses extinguishes prompt dependency without removing all support. Switching hierarchies alone or increasing reinforcement density for prompted responses does not break the dependency.

In Behavioral Skills Training (BST), a trainer completes instruction and modeling but finds that role-play performance is near zero across multiple trainees. Which explanation is MOST consistent with the BST literature, and what is the appropriate correction?

Answer: Reinforcement was not contingent on correct role-play responses; re-run role-play with immediate, specific feedback

BST requires all four components — instruction, modeling, rehearsal (role-play), and feedback — to function together. If role-play performance is near zero even after instruction and modeling, the most likely procedural failure within BST itself is the absence of contingent, specific feedback during rehearsal. In-situ training is a supplement used when BST alone does not generalize, not when role-play performance itself has not yet been established.

A learner has mastered a 12-step backward chaining program for hand-washing. The behavior analyst now wants to promote maintenance without scheduled teaching sessions. Which strategy is MOST consistent with programming for maintenance within ABA skill acquisition frameworks?

Answer: Shift the chain to a natural reinforcement schedule by embedding it within relevant daily routines where natural consequences maintain responding

Maintenance is best supported by natural contingencies — embedding the skill in routines where completion produces naturally occurring reinforcers (clean hands before eating, after restroom use). Scheduling probes monitors but does not program maintenance. Switching to VR in an instructional context prolongs dependency on programmed reinforcement. Re-running a different chain type is unnecessary once mastery is achieved.

A behavior analyst is designing a skill acquisition program for a complex social skill (initiating a conversation with a peer). The learner can perform each component step in isolation but fails to chain them in natural peer interactions. Which instructional technology MOST directly targets the integration deficit?

Answer: Video self-modeling with edited footage showing the learner performing the full chain fluently

Video self-modeling (VSM) — editing video to show the learner performing the complete, fluent chain — has strong evidence for bridging the gap between component mastery and integrated chain performance in social skill contexts. It provides a discriminative model using the learner's own behavior, which leverages observational learning and self-efficacy. DTT isolates steps further rather than integrating them; verbal mediation and Social Stories are largely rule-governed strategies with weaker evidence for integration of behavioral chains.