Concepts & Principles
A client’s tantrums decrease after staff stop giving attention following tantrums. However, the client begins screaming instead.
A. Extinction burst B. Resurgence C. Spontaneous recovery D. Behavioral contrast
Answer: What is resurgence?
A BCBA is asked to supervise a case involving a rare genetic disorder they have never treated. The ethical requirement is to:
A. Accept the case and research independently B. Decline the case entirely C. Seek supervision from a qualified professional D. Accept the case but disclose limited experience
Answer: What is seek supervision?
A BCBA teaches a client to request a break using a card. The client begins handing the card to peers instead of staff. This is a failure of:
A. Stimulus generalization
B. Response generalization
C. Discrimination training
D. Maintenance
Answer: What is discrimination training?
A BCBA wants to compare two interventions quickly while controlling for sequence effects. A. Multiple baseline B. Changing criterion C. Alternating treatments D. Withdrawal
Answer: What is alternating treatments?
A BCBA notices that staff consistently record lower rates of aggression during busy periods, even though the client’s behavior appears unchanged. This error is most likely due to:
A. Reactivity B. Observer drift C. Measurement bias D. Treatment integrity failure
Answer: What is measurement bias?
A BCBA observes that a client only follows instructions when delivered by one specific teacher.
A. Stimulus generalization failure B. Response generalization failure C. Overselectivity D. Faulty stimulus control
Answer: What is faulty stimulus control?
A BCBA is offered free concert tickets by a parent as thanks for good work. Accepting them would violate:
A. Integrity
B. Avoiding dual relationships
C. Transparency
D. Scope of competence
Answer: What is avoiding dual relationships?
A BCBA uses differential reinforcement to reduce pacing. The pacing decreases, but hand‑flapping increases.
A. Extinction burst B. Behavioral contrast C. Resurgence D. Overcorrection
Answer: What is behavioral contrast?
A BCBA cannot ethically withdraw treatment but wants to demonstrate experimental control across three classrooms.
A. Multiple baseline across settings B. Changing criterion C. Alternating treatments D. Reversal
Answer: What is multiple baseline across settings?
During an interval recording system, a behavior occurs for 1 second during a 30‑second interval. The BCBA wants the most conservative measure of behavior reduction.
A. Whole‑interval B. Partial‑interval C. Momentary time sampling D. Duration
Answer: What is partial‑interval?
A BCBA notices that a client’s manding increases only when the therapist is holding a preferred item. The item is functioning as:
A. MO
B. SD
C. Reinforcer
D. Prompt
Answer: What is an MO?
A BCBA discovers that a technician falsified data for two sessions. The BCBA must FIRST:
A. Report the technician to HR
B. Retrain the technician
C. Assess client harm
D. Notify the parents
Answer: What is assess client harm?
A BCBA teaches a 10‑step hygiene routine. The learner can complete steps 1–7 independently but needs prompts for 8–10.
A. Forward chaining B. Backward chaining C. Total task chaining D. Shaping
Answer: What is forward chaining?
A BCBA gradually increases the required number of math problems before reinforcement. Each step is only introduced once the student meets the previous requirement.
A. Shaping B. Changing criterion C. Multiple probe D. Parametric analysis
Answer: What is changing criterion?
A BCBA reviews graphed data and sees a sudden spike in responding immediately after a weekend break. The spike is unrelated to treatment. This is most likely:
A. A level change
B. A trend reversal
C. A confounding variable
D. A Type I error
Answer: What is a confounding variable?
A BCBA teaches a client to label animals. The client labels “dog” when seeing a wolf.
A. Overgeneralization
B. Stimulus discrimination
C. Concept formation
D. Faulty stimulus control
Answer: What is overgeneralization?
A BCBA is asked to implement a sensory‑integration protocol with no supporting evidence.
A. Accept the request
B. Modify the protocol to fit ABA
C. Decline due to lack of evidence
D. Implement but collect extra data
Answer: What is decline due to lack of evidence?
A BCBA implements NCR for attention‑maintained behavior. Over time, the client stops engaging with staff even when attention is freely available.
A. Ratio strain
B. Satiation
C. Extinction
D. Habituation
Answer: What is satiation?
A BCBA alternates two interventions every 5 minutes. However, the behavior shows delayed effects, making the design inappropriate.
A. Carryover effects B. Sequence effects C. Irreversibility D. Latency confounds
Answer: What are carryover effects?
A teacher records “task refusal” whenever a student does not immediately begin work. The BCBA determines the definition is too broad and includes behaviors not relevant to the target.
A. Poor reliability
B. Poor validity
C. Poor accuracy
D. Poor sensitivity
Answer: What is poor validity?
A BCBA observes that a client’s behavior increases immediately after a reduction in reinforcement density.
A. Ratio strain
B. Extinction burst
C. Behavioral momentum
D. Matching law
Answer: What is extinction burst?
A BCBA wants to use client video clips for a conference presentation. The BCBA must obtain:
A. Verbal consent
B. Written consent
C. Agency approval
D. IRB approval
Answer: What is written consent?
A BCBA uses DRO for aggression. The client begins engaging in property destruction instead.
A. Overcorrection B. Resurgence C. Behavioral contrast D. Adventitious reinforcement
Answer: What is resurgence?
A BCBA wants to determine the minimum effective dose of reinforcement needed to maintain behavior.
A. Component analysis
B. Parametric analysis
C. Comparative analysis
D. Structural analysis
Answer: What is parametric analysis?
A BCBA wants to detect subtle changes in latency to respond across trials. The best graph for this is:
A. Cumulative record B. Scatterplot C. Standard celeration chart D. Bar graph
Answer: What is a cumulative record?