- Applied Behavior Analysis Autism Core Knowledge Questions and Answers Flashcards

A behavior analyst notices that a child's tantrum behavior increases immediately after a demand is removed. This pattern suggests the behavior is maintained by:

Answer: Negative reinforcement (escape from demands)

When behavior results in the removal of an aversive stimulus (demand), it is negatively reinforced, making that behavior more likely to occur in the future.

Which measurement method is MOST appropriate for tracking a behavior with a clear beginning and end that occurs at a very high rate?

Answer: Partial interval recording

Partial interval recording is more practical for high-rate behaviors because it only requires noting whether the behavior occurred within an interval, avoiding the difficulty of counting every instance.

When using Functional Communication Training (FCT) for a child who bites to escape tasks, the replacement behavior taught should:

Answer: Provide the same function as the problem behavior (escape)

FCT replaces problem behavior with a communicative response that produces the same functional outcome—in this case, a way to request a break or task removal.

A BCBA graphs a client's data and observes a decelerating trend on a behavior targeted for increase. The MOST appropriate action is to:

Answer: Modify the intervention to address the lack of progress

When data show a trend opposite to the goal, the behavior analyst should analyze the data and modify the intervention to better serve the client.

In the context of autism intervention, 'joint attention' refers to:

Answer: Coordinating attention with another person toward a shared object or event

Joint attention is a foundational social-communication skill involving coordinating one's own attention with another person's attention toward an object or event, often impaired in autism.

A behavior analyst wants to evaluate whether an intervention is effective by comparing a target behavior during baseline versus intervention phases. The single-subject design that uses alternating A and B phases to demonstrate experimental control is called:

Answer: Reversal (ABAB) design

The reversal (ABAB) design demonstrates experimental control by repeatedly alternating between baseline (A) and intervention (B) conditions and observing corresponding behavior changes.

Which term describes the process of gradually withdrawing prompts over time to promote independent responding?

Answer: Prompt fading

Prompt fading is the systematic reduction of prompts over time so that the natural discriminative stimulus, rather than the prompt, comes to control the behavior.