- Applied Behavior Analysis Skill Acquisition Programming Questions and Answers Flashcards

A mastery criterion of '80% correct across 3 consecutive sessions with 2 different therapists' addresses which two dimensions of skill acquisition?

Answer: Accuracy and generalization across trainers

The 80% criterion ensures accuracy, while the requirement for 2 different therapists confirms that the skill generalizes beyond a single instructor.

Errorless learning differs from trial-and-error learning primarily because errorless learning:

Answer: Provides prompts that prevent incorrect responses from occurring

Errorless learning uses immediate, controlling prompts to ensure the learner responds correctly, preventing error patterns from being practiced or reinforced.

Which schedule of reinforcement should be used during the initial acquisition phase of a new skill to maximize learning rate?

Answer: Continuous reinforcement (CRF)

Continuous reinforcement (CRF), where every correct response is reinforced, produces the fastest acquisition of new behaviors.

A task analysis for tooth brushing lists 15 steps. Data show the learner independently completes steps 1–6 and 12–15 but consistently needs prompts on steps 7–11. The therapist should focus intervention on:

Answer: Steps 7–11 only, since those are the steps not yet mastered

Intervention should target only the steps that have not reached mastery (steps 7–11), rather than re-teaching already mastered steps and wasting instructional time.

Response generalization is demonstrated when a learner:

Answer: Produces a different but functionally equivalent response to the same stimulus

Response generalization occurs when a different topography of behavior (not the trained response) is emitted in the presence of the training stimulus.

During skill acquisition programming, 'probe trials' are typically used to:

Answer: Assess whether the learner can perform the skill without prompts before instruction

Probe trials are unprompted test trials inserted into sessions to assess independent performance without providing reinforcement or feedback that would influence responding.

A BCBA chooses to use a multiple exemplar training approach in a skill acquisition program. The PRIMARY goal of this approach is to:

Answer: Promote generalization of the skill across untrained stimuli and responses

Multiple exemplar training exposes the learner to varied instances of the stimulus class and response class, which promotes both stimulus and response generalization.