Best Answer Wins
A client cleans up their toys after being praised and given a sticker. What most likely increased the cleanup behavior?
A. Positive reinforcement
B. Negative reinforcement
C. Bribery
D. Punishment
Best Answer: A
The sticker and praise were delivered AFTER the behavior to increase future cleanup.
At the clinic, an RBT provides a preferred item 50 seconds after a correct response while talking to a coworker. What is the primary issue in this scenario?
A. Reinforcement is delayed and not contingent
B. Reinforcement is not strong enough to maintain responding
C. The RBT selected an ineffective reinforcer for the client
A. Reinforcement is delayed and not contingent
Rationale: Reinforcement muse be immediate and clearly tied to the behavior. Delays weaken the behavior to reinforcer relationship which reduces learning effectiveness
A client only responds when given a full verbal prompt across multiple sessions. What should the RBT do next to fix the intervention?
A. Increase session length
B. Stop the program
C. Implement prompt fading
D. Continue using the same prompt
C. Implement prompt fading
Rationale: Prompt fading (e.g., time delay) helps transfer control from the prompt to the SD and reduces prompt dependency
A client engages in problem behavior when demands are presented. Staff provide attention and remove the task. Behavior increases. What should be addressed FIRST?
A. Increase attention during behavior
B. Continue removing the demand
C. Stop reinforcing escape by maintaining the demand appropriately
D. Ignore the behavior completely
Answer: C
Rationale: The behavior is being reinforced by escape. Addressing the maintaining variable is the priority before modifying other components
A client begins crying when they arrive for session. What should the RBT do FIRST?
A. Ignore the crying completely
B. Begin demands immediately to maintain structure
C. Build rapport and assess what may be wrong
D. End the session early
Best Answer: C
The RBT should first establish rapport and determine possible variables affecting behavior.
A BT lightly taps a worksheet to help the learner remember where to write their answer. This is best described as:
A. Gestural prompt
B. Physical prompt
C. Verbal prompt
D. Modeling
Best Answer: A
The BT is gesturing toward the correct location, not physically guiding the learner.
An RBT uses a least-to-most prompting hierarchy but immediately jumps to full physical prompting after providing the SD without allowing time for independent responding. What is wrong in this scenario?
A. Reinforcement is delivered too quickly, preventing independent responding
B. The prompt hierarchy is ineffective due to lack of wait time
C. The SD is incorrect
D. The reinforcer is overshadowing the SD, reducing stimulus control
B. The prompt hierarchy is ineffective due to lack of wait time
Rationale: Least-to-most prompting requires a brief delay to allow for independent responding before prompts are delivered. In this scenario, immediately prompting removes the opportunity for independent responses which can lead to prompt dependency
A client stops responding because reinforcement is no longer motivating. What should the RBT do?
A. End the session early
B. Ignore the behavior
C. Decrease reinforcement
D. Conduct preference assessment and vary reinforcement
D. Conduct preference assessment and vary reinforcement
Rationale: Motivation changes over time. Preference assessments help identify effective reinforcers to maintain client responding.
A client engages in screaming when access to an iPad is denied. Staff provide reassurance and eventually return the iPad after 5 minutes of screaming. The behavior continues to increase over time. What should be addressed FIRST?
A. Provide more verbal reassurance during the behavior
B. Continue delaying access to the iPad
C. Stop reinforcing the screaming by returning the iPad following the behavior
D. Ignore the client completely for the remainder of the session
Answer: C
Rationale: The behavior is most likely being maintained by access to tangibles. Returning the iPad following screaming reinforces the behavior. The priority is to stop reinforcing the problem behavior while following the treatment plan and teaching appropriate replacement behaviors.
2 true things: attention/reassurance is provided & the client eventually gains access to the iPad.
A learner suddenly hits another student during group instruction. What should the RBT do FIRST?
A.Explain why hitting is inappropriate
B. Begin collecting ABC data
C. Prompt the learner to apologize
D. Ensure everyone's safety
Best Answer: D
Safety always comes before teaching, data collection, or processing the event.
An RBT records how many times a behavior occurs during session. Which data method is MOST accurate?
A.Interval Recording
B. Duration recording
C. Frequency recording
D. Latency recording
Best Answer: C
(Frequency counts occurrences; duration measures how long the behavior lasts.)
A client tantrums and the RBT removes the task immediately every time. What is primary error in implementation?
A. The RBT is using extinction procedures incorrectly
B. The RBT is reinforcing the problem behavior by removing the demand
C. The RBT is not using a strong enough reinforcer
D. The RBT is presenting the SD incorrectly
B. The RBT is reinforcing the problem behavior by removing the demand
Rationale: removing the demand after problem behavior reinforces escape-maintained behavior, increasing future occurrences
A client engages in escape behavior during difficult tasks. The RBT implements escape extinction, but the client's behavior escalates significantly. What should the RBT do?
A. Continue extinction consistently and provide reinforcement for compliance
B. Stop extinction immediately
C. Remove all demands
D. Increase reinforcement for problem behavior to reduce escalation
A. Continue extinction consistently and provide reinforcement for compliance
Rationale: Escalation is expected (extinction burst). Consistency is vital, along with reinforcing appropriate behavior like task completion.
A child was previously injured while in the care of grandmother. When the child was injured client engaged in excessive screaming. Grandmother provided attention and gave the child his favorite candy to distract him. Now when the child is denied access to his favorite candy excessive screaming increases. Grandmother continues to give him candy when engaging in screaming. What should be addressed first?
A: Give the child more snacks often
B: Create a token system so that he can earn his candy bar
C: Stop reinforcing the screaming by giving access to the candy bar
Answer C
Rational: Continuing to grant access to the candy bar is reinforcing the screaming behavior.
A client waits for verbal prompts before answering every question, even when they know the skill. What should the RBT do FIRST?
A. Begin fading prompts according to the treatment plan
B. Increase the volume of verbal prompts
C. Give additional reinforcement after every response
D. Stop using prompts entirely
Best Answer: A
Prompt fading helps reduce prompt dependence while still supporting success.
A learner screams until difficult work is removed. The behavior is MOST likely maintained by:
A. Attention
B. Escape
C. Access to tangibles
D. Automatic reinforcement
Best Answer: B
The behavior results in removal of demands, which points to escape-maintained behavior.
During an in-home session, a client appropriately requests a break. The RBT tells the client "wait," continues working with client's sibling for 58 seconds, and then allows the break. What is the primary error in implementation?
A. The RBT is using the wrong reinforcement schedule
B. The RBT is delaying reinforcement, weaking the mand
C. The RBT is reinforcing problem behavior
D. The RBT is increasing the response effort before reinforcement is delivered
B. The RBT is delaying reinforcement, weaking the mand
Rationale: Appropriate mands should be reinforcement immediately. In the scenario, delaying the client's break weakens communication and may increase problem behavior in the future
A client engages in problem behavior that is maintained by attention. The RBT provides attention for appropriate behavior but occasionally gives attention during problem behavior when it escalates. What should the RBT do?
A. continue the current intervention plan
B. Make sure extinction is implemented consistently while reinforcing the appropriate behavior
C. Remove all attention
D. Increase attention for the problem behavior
C. Make sure extinction is implemented consistently while reinforcing the appropriate behavior
Rationale: Inconsistent extinction strengthens problem behavior. Attention should only follow appropriate behavior, not problem behavior.
After being put to bed the learner is repeatedly coming out to the living room where parents are watching TV. After multiple times parents let the learner watch TV with them, as they are exhausted. The protesting behavior increases nightly. What should be addressed first?
A: Stop reinforcing protesting by granting access to TV
B: Set timers for a visual warning of bedtime is approaching
C: Remove TV watching entirely
Answer: C
Rational: Access to TV is reinforcing the protesting behavior
During session, a parent asks the RBT for advice about changing the client’s medication. What should the RBT do FIRST?
A. Share personal experience with similar medications
B. Refer the parent to the supervising BCBA or medical provider
C. Suggest researching medication side effects online
D. Tell the parent to stop the medication immediately
Best Answer: B
Medication recommendations are outside an RBT’s scope of practice.
A parent asks an RBT to change a behavior plan because they disagree with it. The BEST response is:
A. Stop running the program until the parent agrees
B. Make small changes based on parent preference
C. Explain the plan but continue implementing as written
D. Refer the parent to the supervising BCBA
Best Answer:D
Only the supervising BCBA should make changes to treatment plans.
During an in-home session, the client engages in problem behavior to gain access to their tablet. The RBT withholds the tablet during behavior but gives it immediately once the client is calm without requiring appropriate communication. What's wrong here?
A. The RBT is using extinction incorrectly
B. The RBT is using an ineffective reinforcer
C. The RBT is reinforcing the absence of behavior instead of teaching a replacement
D. The RBT is reinforcing calm behavior without establishing stimulus control over appropriate communication
C. The RBT is reinforcing the absence of behavior instead of teaching a replacement
Rationale: While the problem behavior is not directly being reinforced in the scenario, the RBT fails to require or reinforce an appropriate replacement behavior (e.g., requesting tablet). This limits skill acquisition and reduces likeliness future occurrences
At the clinic during snack time, a client grabs food from another peer's plate. The RBT blocks the behavior and tells the client "no", but then gives the client the same snack a few minutes later to keep the environment calm. The behavior continues. What should the RBT do?
A. Continue blocking and providing the snack to reduce escalation
B. Remove the peer to prevent further incidents or problem behaviors
C. Teach and reinforce an appropriate mand before providing access to snack
D. Increase verbal reprimands to reduce the behavior
C. Teach and reinforce an appropriate mand before providing access to snack
Rationale: In this scenario, the behavior is likely access maintained, and the RBT is inadvertently reinforcing it by eventually providing a snack. The RBT should teach and reinforce asking appropriately before giving access
A learner repetitively asked to go outside when it is closed. Staff answers every repeated question immediate. The repetitive questions increase. What should be address first?
A: Immediately place the behavior on extinction
B: Stop reinforcing repetitive questioning with immediate attention
C: Utilize Premack principal teaching
Answer: B
Rational: When continuing to immediately answer repeated questions client is most likely being reinforced by attention.
An RBT notices repeated unexplained bruises on a client and the client appears fearful discussing home life. What should the RBT do FIRST?
A. Follow mandated reporting procedures and company policy
B. Ask the caregiver directly if abuse is occurring
C. Wait for additional evidence before acting
D. Discuss concerns with other staff members during break
Best Answer: A
RBTs are mandated reporters and must follow reporting procedures immediately.