ABA Applied Behavior Analysis Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: 'Loose training' promotes generalization by:

Varying non-essential aspects of training (therapist, setting, materials) deliberately (Correct answer)
Using only one reinforcer throughout training
Reducing prompt intensity rapidly
Making all training stimuli identical across sessions

Correct answer: Varying non-essential aspects of training (therapist, setting, materials) deliberately

Loose training intentionally introduces variation in irrelevant dimensions of training stimuli (e.g., different rooms, trainers, materials) to broaden the stimulus control.

Question 2: What is the purpose of a supervision contract between a BCBA and supervisee?

To clearly define roles, expectations, evaluation criteria, and emergency procedures (Correct answer)
To eliminate the need for BACB documentation of supervision
To outline the payment structure for supervision hours
To replace the need for direct observation during supervision

Correct answer: To clearly define roles, expectations, evaluation criteria, and emergency procedures

A supervision contract establishes clear expectations, procedures, and responsibilities for both the supervisor and supervisee, supporting a structured and ethical supervisory relationship.

Question 3: Which data collection method involves recording whether a behavior occurred at least once during an observation interval?

Partial interval recording (Correct answer)
Momentary time sampling
Whole interval recording
Frequency recording

Correct answer: Partial interval recording

Partial interval recording scores a behavior as occurred if it happens at any point within the interval, regardless of duration.

Question 4: Stimulus fading involves:

Removing consequences for a target behavior
Gradually changing the physical properties of a stimulus while maintaining stimulus control (Correct answer)
Reinforcing successive approximations to a target
Increasing the delay between SD and prompt

Correct answer: Gradually changing the physical properties of a stimulus while maintaining stimulus control

Stimulus fading systematically alters the characteristics (e.g., color, size, intensity) of a discriminative stimulus while keeping stimulus control intact.

Question 5: What is an example of manipulating a classroom setting to prevent distraction from the window?

Confounding Variable
Context Variable (Correct answer)
Antecedent Variable
Ecological Variable

Correct answer: Context Variable

Explanation: One way to manipulate the context variable in a classroom setting is to move a student's chair to block out distractions from the window. The physical surroundings or the particular circumstances in which the activity is taking place are referred to as the context variable in this scenario. The teacher is altering the context by moving the chair to lessen distractions and create a more favorable learning environment.

Question 6: Mark gets a brand-new TV stand. Rather than assembling it according to the instructions, he arranges the parts in different ways until the TV stand seems finished. Mark's behavior can be considered as ___________.

Prompting
ABAB Reversal Guides
Contingency-Shaped Behavior (Correct answer)
Target Behavior

Correct answer: Contingency-Shaped Behavior

Explanation: Contingency-shaped behavior refers to behavior that is influenced by its consequences. In this case, Mark’s behavior of assembling the TV stand without following the instructions is shaped by the consequences of his actions, such as the TV stand appearing completed.

Question 7: The Stokes and Baer (1977) article is foundational to generalization because it:

Defined reinforcement schedules and their effects on response rate
Identified eight strategies for promoting generalization and critiqued 'train and hope' (Correct answer)
Established the experimental methods used in single-subject design
Introduced the concept of the three-term contingency in ABA

Correct answer: Identified eight strategies for promoting generalization and critiqued 'train and hope'

Stokes and Baer's 1977 paper outlined eight specific strategies for programming generalization and highlighted that generalization must be actively planned, not passively hoped for.

Question 8: What is the PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) primarily designed to teach?

Mand behavior using picture cards as a communication modality (Correct answer)
Intraverbal behavior through visual supports
Tact behavior through non-vocal labeling
Echoic behavior through imitation of pictures

Correct answer: Mand behavior using picture cards as a communication modality

PECS teaches learners to initiate communication by handing picture cards to a communication partner in exchange for desired items or activities (mand function).

Question 9: A conflict of interest in ABA practice refers to:

An ethical dilemma about using punishment procedures
A scheduling conflict between supervision and direct service hours
A disagreement between a BCBA and a client about treatment goals
A situation where personal or financial interests could compromise professional judgment (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A situation where personal or financial interests could compromise professional judgment

Conflicts of interest arise when a behavior analyst's personal, financial, or other interests have the potential to influence their professional decisions or actions in ways that may harm clients.

Question 10: Scatter plot assessments in ABA are used primarily to identify:

The function of a behavior
The appropriate reinforcer for a behavior
Temporal patterns related to when behaviors occur (Correct answer)
The topography of a behavior

Correct answer: Temporal patterns related to when behaviors occur

Scatter plots reveal patterns in when behaviors are more or less likely to occur throughout the day, helping identify environmental correlates.

Question 11: Which of the following BEST demonstrates generalization across people?

A child maintains a skill at 90% accuracy after 6 months
A child uses a skill in both the home and school settings
A child who learned to request with one therapist now requests with parents and teachers (Correct answer)
A child's behavior improves only when the original therapist is present

Correct answer: A child who learned to request with one therapist now requests with parents and teachers

Generalization across people occurs when a trained behavior extends to new communication partners beyond those present during training.

Question 12: The term 'contiguity' in conditioning refers to:

The number of trials needed to establish a conditioned response
The temporal closeness between a behavior and its consequence (Correct answer)
The similarity between training and generalization stimuli
The degree to which reinforcement is predictable

Correct answer: The temporal closeness between a behavior and its consequence

Contiguity refers to the temporal relationship between a behavior (or stimulus) and a consequence — closer in time generally produces stronger conditioning.

Question 13: Momentary time sampling is BEST suited for measuring behaviors that are:

Dangerous and high-rate
Novel and low-frequency
Brief and discrete
Ongoing or state behaviors (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ongoing or state behaviors

Momentary time sampling records whether a behavior is occurring at the exact moment the interval ends, making it ideal for continuous, state-like behaviors.

Question 14: What does 'behavioral trap' refer to in generalization programming?

A conditioned aversive stimulus that traps escape behavior
A naturally occurring contingency that sustains a newly trained behavior without planned intervention (Correct answer)
A permanent prompt that prevents skill independence
An unwanted decrease in behavior following over-correction

Correct answer: A naturally occurring contingency that sustains a newly trained behavior without planned intervention

A behavioral trap is a naturally occurring reinforcement contingency that 'traps' a new behavior into the individual's repertoire once it is initiated, maintaining it without further planned intervention.

Question 15: In backward chaining, teaching begins with:

A randomly selected step
The first step of the task analysis
The most difficult step
The last step of the task analysis (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The last step of the task analysis

Backward chaining starts instruction with the final step of the chain, with the trainer completing all prior steps, so the learner always experiences the reinforcing end of the chain.

Question 16: Language that talks about one's own behavior or mental events is called:

Intraverbal chaining
Tact extension
Autoclitic behavior (Correct answer)
Conditioned seeing

Correct answer: Autoclitic behavior

Autoclitics are verbal operants that modify or qualify other verbal behavior, including statements about one's own verbal responses, confidence, or uncertainty.

Question 17: A BCBA discovers that a colleague is billing insurance for services that were not provided. The BCBA should:

Wait until the colleague's contract ends before reporting
Ignore it if the clients are not being directly harmed
Report the fraudulent billing to the appropriate authorities after attempting to address it directly (Correct answer)
Only report if the BCBA personally witnessed the billing documentation

Correct answer: Report the fraudulent billing to the appropriate authorities after attempting to address it directly

Insurance fraud is both unethical and illegal — the BACB Ethics Code requires behavior analysts to address and report clear ethical violations, including fraud, through appropriate channels.

Question 18: Which strategy involves teaching a range of exemplars to promote generalization?

Loose training
Indiscriminable contingencies
Multiple exemplar training (Correct answer)
Common stimuli programming

Correct answer: Multiple exemplar training

Multiple exemplar training exposes the learner to many varied examples of a concept or stimulus class so the behavior generalizes broadly beyond training exemplars.

Question 19: When a therapist delivers reinforcement following any instance of a target behavior regardless of time elapsed, this is called:

Continuous reinforcement (CRF) (Correct answer)
Delayed reinforcement
Differential reinforcement
Intermittent reinforcement

Correct answer: Continuous reinforcement (CRF)

Continuous reinforcement (CRF) means every occurrence of the target behavior is reinforced, which is ideal for initial skill acquisition.

Question 20: Generalization across settings is BEST promoted by:

Using the most intrusive prompts throughout training
Only practicing in the original teaching environment
Keeping all stimuli identical across sessions
Training across multiple environments from the start (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Training across multiple environments from the start

Teaching skills across varied settings, people, and materials from the outset promotes generalization by preventing narrow stimulus control.

Question 21: Which of the following is a natural community of reinforcement that can help maintain a skill?

Token economy maintained indefinitely by the BCBA
A dense CRF schedule implemented by parents at home
Continuous prompting across all settings
Peer attention and social interaction maintaining conversation skills in school (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Peer attention and social interaction maintaining conversation skills in school

A natural community of reinforcement is a set of naturally occurring contingencies in the environment (like peer social reinforcement) that can sustain a skill independently of planned intervention.

Question 22: According to the BACB Ethics Code, behavior analysts must practice within their area of competence and seek additional training or supervision when:

Working in any school-based setting
Conducting preference assessments for the first time ever
Working with a new population or using unfamiliar techniques (Correct answer)
Using any form of reinforcement-based procedure

Correct answer: Working with a new population or using unfamiliar techniques

BCBAs must recognize the limits of their competence and obtain additional training, consultation, or supervision before working with new populations or applying unfamiliar procedures.

Question 23: What is 'tact extension'?

Applying a tact to a novel stimulus that shares properties with the trained stimulus (Correct answer)
Reinforcing a mand with unrelated reinforcement
Using the echoic to expand vocabulary
Chaining multiple intraverbals together

Correct answer: Applying a tact to a novel stimulus that shares properties with the trained stimulus

Tact extension (or generic tact extension) occurs when a learner tacts a novel stimulus because it shares physical properties with stimuli previously reinforced.

Question 24: What is the main difference between massed practice and distributed practice?

Massed practice is used only for maintenance; distributed is for acquisition
Massed practice involves multiple behaviors; distributed focuses on one
Massed practice runs many trials back-to-back; distributed practice spaces trials across time (Correct answer)
Massed practice uses longer intervals; distributed uses shorter ones

Correct answer: Massed practice runs many trials back-to-back; distributed practice spaces trials across time

Massed practice presents many consecutive trials for one skill, while distributed practice intersperses trials with other activities or skills over time.

Question 25: Which graph type is most commonly used to display continuous behavioral data over time in ABA?

Pie chart
Scatter plot
Bar graph
Simple line graph (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Simple line graph

Simple line graphs display data points connected sequentially, making it easy to visualize trends and changes in behavior over sessions.

Question 26: Which of the following BEST describes 'train and hope' as a generalization strategy?

Teaching behavior in one setting and hoping it generalizes without additional programming (Correct answer)
Using natural reinforcers throughout training
Fading prompts before moving to a new setting
Teaching across multiple settings from the start

Correct answer: Teaching behavior in one setting and hoping it generalizes without additional programming

'Train and hope' is a weak strategy where generalization is expected to occur naturally without systematic programming — it is generally ineffective for learners with ASD.

Question 27: A BCBA uses a paired-stimulus preference assessment and finds that Item A is chosen 95% of the time over all other items. To confirm Item A functions as a reinforcer, the next step is:

Conduct a reinforcer assessment by contingently delivering Item A for a target response and measuring response rate change (Correct answer)
Calculate the Pearson correlation between preference rankings and historical performance data
Administer another preference assessment one week later to verify stability
Survey caregivers about whether the client typically requests Item A at home

Correct answer: Conduct a reinforcer assessment by contingently delivering Item A for a target response and measuring response rate change

A reinforcer assessment verifies that the preferred item actually strengthens behavior by demonstrating increased response rates when it is delivered contingently.

Question 28: Which of the following is a key responsibility of a supervising BCBA regarding an RBT's implementation?

Monitoring treatment integrity and providing corrective feedback (Correct answer)
Allowing the RBT to develop behavior intervention plans independently
Delegating all data analysis to the RBT
Eliminating all direct supervision once the RBT passes their exam

Correct answer: Monitoring treatment integrity and providing corrective feedback

Supervising BCBAs are responsible for monitoring how accurately RBTs implement procedures (treatment integrity) and providing feedback to ensure client safety and effective outcomes.

Question 29: Teaching a skill to fluency (high accuracy AND speed) is important for maintenance because:

Fluency eliminates the need for any reinforcement of the skill
Fluent skills are more resistant to extinction and are more likely to compete with other behaviors (Correct answer)
Speed is more important than accuracy for all daily living skills
Fluent skills require more structured practice sessions to maintain

Correct answer: Fluent skills are more resistant to extinction and are more likely to compete with other behaviors

Fluent performance is more durable, more likely to generalize, and better able to occur in competing or distracting environments, supporting long-term maintenance.

Question 30: Under the BACB Ethics Code, behavior analysts must report concerns about a colleague's unethical behavior by:

Ignoring the behavior if it does not affect their own clients
First attempting to resolve the issue directly with the colleague if appropriate (Correct answer)
Immediately reporting to BACB before speaking to the colleague
Only reporting if the behavior results in client injury

Correct answer: First attempting to resolve the issue directly with the colleague if appropriate

BACB ethics guidelines recommend attempting to resolve ethical concerns directly with the colleague first (when appropriate) before escalating to the BACB or other authorities.

Question 31: An echoic is a verbal operant that:

Requests a specific reinforcer
Repeats the verbal stimulus of a speaker with point-to-point correspondence (Correct answer)
Labels a non-verbal stimulus
Responds to written text

Correct answer: Repeats the verbal stimulus of a speaker with point-to-point correspondence

An echoic involves repeating another person's verbal behavior with formal similarity (sound-by-sound match) and is maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement.

Question 32: The listener repertoire in verbal behavior refers to:

The mand repertoire of a language learner
The speaker's production of verbal responses
The ability to echo what others say
How a person responds appropriately to the verbal behavior of others (Correct answer)

Correct answer: How a person responds appropriately to the verbal behavior of others

Listener behavior involves responding to the verbal behavior of others, such as following instructions, pointing to named items, or complying with requests.

Question 33: The process by which a neutral stimulus gains the ability to elicit a response after repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus is called:

Operant conditioning
Classical (respondent) conditioning (Correct answer)
Stimulus fading
Negative reinforcement

Correct answer: Classical (respondent) conditioning

Classical conditioning pairs a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus alone elicits the conditioned response.

Question 34: In discrete trial training (DTT), what is the correct sequence of components?

Consequence → Antecedent → Behavior
Antecedent → Consequence → Response
Response → SD → Reinforcement
SD → Response → Consequence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: SD → Response → Consequence

A discrete trial consists of a discriminative stimulus (SD), the learner's response, and the delivered consequence, in that order.

Question 35: Primary reinforcers are __________.

dependent on other reinforcers
to be used instead of secondary reinforcers
money-driven
susceptible to satiation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: susceptible to satiation

Explanation: Primary reinforcers are directly related to biological needs, such as food, water, or warmth. However, they can become less effective if the individual becomes satiated, meaning their need for the reinforcer is satisfied.

Question 36: Which procedure involves teaching the learner to perform the skill across all stimulus variations that exist in the natural environment?

Token economy fading
General case programming (Correct answer)
Multiple schedule training
Common stimuli programming

Correct answer: General case programming

General case programming systematically samples the full range of teaching examples and non-examples from the natural universe of stimuli and responses to ensure broad generalization.

Question 37: A behavior analyst notices variability in their data. Which visual analysis feature reflects the degree of data point variability within a phase?

Overlap
Level
Trend
Variability (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Variability

Variability describes how much individual data points deviate around the phase's central value or trend line.

Question 38: Which of the following describes prompting's drawbacks?

It is not possible to reinforce prompted behavior.
Fading as a backup method cannot be used while prompting is used.
It is among the least successful methods for starting a desired habit.
Trial and error is necessary to use prompting effectively. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Trial and error is necessary to use prompting effectively.

Explanation: Prompting requires careful consideration and adjustment to determine the most effective prompt for each individual. This process often involves trial and error to find the most successful prompting strategy.

Question 39: Self-management strategies support maintenance and generalization by:

Replacing function-based interventions with self-report only
Having therapists monitor behavior across all settings
Teaching learners to monitor and reinforce their own behavior independently (Correct answer)
Eliminating the need for any behavioral goals

Correct answer: Teaching learners to monitor and reinforce their own behavior independently

Self-management trains learners to observe, record, and self-administer consequences for their own behavior, reducing dependence on external agents and supporting long-term maintenance.

Question 40: Progressive time delay involves:

Gradually increasing the delay between the SD and the prompt across trials (Correct answer)
Removing prompts entirely after the first session
Providing the prompt simultaneously with the SD initially
Using a fixed 5-second delay from the start

Correct answer: Gradually increasing the delay between the SD and the prompt across trials

Progressive time delay systematically increases the wait time between the SD and prompt delivery across trials, promoting independent responding.

Question 41: Which measurement dimension refers to the number of responses per unit of time?

Rate (Correct answer)
Magnitude
Duration
Frequency

Correct answer: Rate

Rate is frequency divided by time (responses per minute or hour), capturing both how often and how quickly behavior occurs.

Question 42: Behavior Skills Training (BST) used in supervision consists of which four components?

Assessment, goal setting, data collection, and reporting
Lecturing, testing, observation, and grading
Planning, prompting, reinforcing, and extinguishing
Instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback

BST is a training package consisting of instructions (describing the skill), modeling (demonstrating it), rehearsal (practice), and feedback (corrective and positive), which together build competence efficiently.

Question 43: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'instructive feedback'?

Correcting errors by repeating the SD
Reducing prompt intensity after correct responses
Providing negative feedback for incorrect answers
Presenting additional target information as a consequence following correct responses (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Presenting additional target information as a consequence following correct responses

Instructive feedback embeds additional learning targets (non-target information) as part of the consequence for correct responding, promoting efficient learning of multiple skills.

Question 44: What is the defining feature of total task chaining?

The learner attempts every step of the chain during each teaching session (Correct answer)
Only the first step is taught until mastered
Steps are taught in random order
Only the last step is taught first

Correct answer: The learner attempts every step of the chain during each teaching session

Total task chaining has the learner practice all steps of the task analysis during every session, receiving assistance only on steps not yet mastered.

Question 45: A child sees a dog and spontaneously says 'Dog!' This is an example of which verbal operant?

Tact (Correct answer)
Echoic
Intraverbal
Mand

Correct answer: Tact

A tact is a verbal response controlled by a non-verbal stimulus (seeing the dog) and maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement (social praise).

Question 46: A BCBA who does NOT maintain confidentiality of client records may be in violation of:

Only HIPAA, not BACB Ethics Code
Neither, since ABA records are exempt from confidentiality requirements
Only BACB Ethics Code, not HIPAA
Both BACB Ethics Code and HIPAA regulations (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Both BACB Ethics Code and HIPAA regulations

ABA practitioners must comply with both the BACB Ethics Code's confidentiality requirements and federal HIPAA regulations governing the privacy of protected health information.

Question 47: A BCBA providing supervision to an RBT must ensure that the supervision meets what minimum percentage of the RBT's work hours per month?

2%
15%
5% (Correct answer)
10%

Correct answer: 5%

BACB standards require that BCBAs provide at least 5% of the RBT's total work hours per month in supervision, with at least half delivered in individual (one-on-one) format.

Question 48: An extinction burst refers to:

A temporary increase in behavior rate, intensity, or variability when extinction is first implemented (Correct answer)
A rapid decrease in behavior during the first extinction session
A sudden increase in a different, appropriate behavior
The elimination of behavior within the first two sessions

Correct answer: A temporary increase in behavior rate, intensity, or variability when extinction is first implemented

An extinction burst is a common side effect where the target behavior initially increases in frequency, duration, or intensity before it begins to decrease under extinction.

Question 49: Which of the following BEST describes functional communication training (FCT)?

Eliminating all forms of manding to reduce escape behavior
Providing an alternative reinforcement schedule without teaching a new response
Using punishment to decrease verbal stereotypy
Teaching a communicative response that serves the same function as problem behavior (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Teaching a communicative response that serves the same function as problem behavior

FCT replaces problem behavior by teaching a functionally equivalent communicative response (e.g., teaching a child to ask for a break instead of eloping).

Question 50: Which of the following is an example of an ethical multiple relationship?

A BCBA who provides ABA therapy to the child of a close personal friend (Correct answer)
A BCBA who supervises two different RBTs at the same agency
A BCBA who uses both DTT and naturalistic teaching with the same client
A BCBA who works with clients who have both ASD and ADHD

Correct answer: A BCBA who provides ABA therapy to the child of a close personal friend

A multiple relationship exists when the BCBA has both a professional role and a personal relationship with the same individual, creating potential conflicts of interest or harm.

Question 51: A tact is a verbal operant that is primarily under the control of:

Generalized conditioned reinforcement only
A motivating operation
Another person's verbal behavior
A non-verbal antecedent stimulus in the environment (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A non-verbal antecedent stimulus in the environment

A tact is a verbal response under the control of a non-verbal discriminative stimulus (an object, event, or property) and is maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement.

Question 52: Which IOA method divides the number of agreements by the total number of agreements plus disagreements and multiplies by 100?

Nonoccurrence IOA
Exact count-per-interval IOA
Total count IOA (Correct answer)
Occurrence IOA

Correct answer: Total count IOA

Total count IOA (also called proportion agreement) compares the total counts recorded by each observer, not agreement interval by interval.

Question 53: A behavior analyst notices that a client's aggression increases when a demanding task is removed. This is most consistent with aggression being maintained by:

Negative reinforcement (escape) (Correct answer)
Positive punishment
Automatic reinforcement (sensory)
Positive reinforcement (attention)

Correct answer: Negative reinforcement (escape)

When aggression is followed by removal of a demanding task, the behavior is negatively reinforced by escape from aversive stimulation.

Question 54: Which data display feature is analyzed to determine if a change in level occurred between two phases?

The last few data points of one phase compared to the first few of the next (Correct answer)
The mean of all data points in both phases combined
The trend within the first phase only
The total number of data points across phases

Correct answer: The last few data points of one phase compared to the first few of the next

Level change between phases is evaluated by comparing the terminal data points of one phase to the initial data points of the next phase.

Question 55: When planning a function-based intervention, identifying the 'setting event' is important because setting events:

Describe the topography and intensity of the behavior of interest
Alter the value of reinforcers and punishers, affecting the probability of behavior occurring (Correct answer)
Serve as the consequences that maintain the target behavior over time
Are the immediate antecedents that directly precede the target behavior

Correct answer: Alter the value of reinforcers and punishers, affecting the probability of behavior occurring

Setting events (establishing operations that occur distantly in time or context) alter the momentary value of reinforcers and punishers, thereby changing response probability.

Question 56: Which verbal operant involves reading printed text aloud?

Textual (Correct answer)
Intraverbal
Echoic
Transcription

Correct answer: Textual

A textual response is controlled by a written verbal antecedent (text) and involves saying the word(s) aloud, with point-to-point correspondence to the written stimulus.

Question 57: Which verbal operant is controlled by a verbal antecedent WITHOUT point-to-point correspondence?

Intraverbal (Correct answer)
Textual
Echoic
Transcription

Correct answer: Intraverbal

Intraverbals are controlled by another person's verbal behavior but the response does not match the form of the antecedent (e.g., answering 'What do you eat with?' with 'Fork').

Question 58: What is the purpose of a task analysis in ABA?

To measure the rate of a target behavior
To determine appropriate reinforcement schedules
To break a complex skill into a sequence of smaller teachable steps (Correct answer)
To identify the function of a behavior

Correct answer: To break a complex skill into a sequence of smaller teachable steps

A task analysis breaks a complex chained behavior into individual component steps that can be taught and measured separately.

Question 59: Which of the following BEST represents a continuous measurement method?

Frequency recording of each response (Correct answer)
Partial interval recording
Whole interval recording
Momentary time sampling

Correct answer: Frequency recording of each response

Frequency recording captures every instance of a behavior, making it a continuous (event-based) measurement method rather than a sample-based one.

Question 60: Shaping involves reinforcing:

Any behavior that occurs after the SD
Only the exact target behavior from the start
Successive approximations toward the target behavior (Correct answer)
The absence of competing behaviors

Correct answer: Successive approximations toward the target behavior

Shaping reinforces responses that progressively resemble the target behavior, gradually raising the criterion until the final behavior is achieved.

Question 61: A child fills in the missing word when a therapist sings a familiar song and pauses. This BEST demonstrates which verbal operant?

Mand
Tact
Echoic
Intraverbal (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Intraverbal

Filling in a blank in a song is an intraverbal — the child's response is controlled by the therapist's verbal behavior without point-to-point correspondence.

Question 62: What does 'celeration' refer to on a Standard Celeration Chart?

The duration of each behavior episode
The total frequency of behavior per session
The latency from SD to response
The rate of change in behavior frequency over time (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The rate of change in behavior frequency over time

Celeration is the rate of change in a behavior's frequency, indicating whether responding is accelerating or decelerating across time.

Question 63: When a behavior analyst uses a cumulative graph, the data line can:

Go up and down freely
Only go up or remain flat, never decrease (Correct answer)
Reset to zero each session
Show rate automatically without calculation

Correct answer: Only go up or remain flat, never decrease

Cumulative records add each new data point to the previous total, so the line never decreases unless the behavior rate drops to zero.

Question 64: In a natural language paradigm, reinforcement is delivered:

Via token exchange following every correct answer
Only through edible reinforcers for early learners
Directly and naturally related to the response (e.g., getting the named toy) (Correct answer)
After a fixed interval regardless of response quality

Correct answer: Directly and naturally related to the response (e.g., getting the named toy)

Natural language paradigms use direct, naturally related reinforcement — requesting a ball results in getting the ball — which increases motivation and promotes generalization.

Question 65: What is the opposite of a natural reinforce?

Contrived reinforcer (Correct answer)
Secondary reinforcer
Primary reinforcer
Negative reinforcer

Correct answer: Contrived reinforcer

Explanation: A contrived reinforcer is deliberately introduced by an individual to increase the likelihood of a specific behavior occurring. Unlike natural reinforcers, which occur spontaneously in the environment, contrived reinforcers are intentionally provided to shape behavior.

Question 66: Which teaching arrangement uses naturally occurring opportunities distributed throughout the day rather than massed trials?

Direct instruction
Error correction
Discrete trial training
Naturalistic teaching (incidental teaching) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Naturalistic teaching (incidental teaching)

Naturalistic or incidental teaching embeds learning trials within the child's natural environment and daily routines rather than structured table-top sessions.

Question 67: A BCBA wants to measure the time between the end of one response and the beginning of the next. What is this called?

Inter-response time (IRT) (Correct answer)
Latency
Rate
Duration

Correct answer: Inter-response time (IRT)

Inter-response time (IRT) is the elapsed time between the end of one response and the onset of the next response.

Question 68: Which measure captures the total amount of time a behavior occurs within an observation period?

Frequency
Duration (Correct answer)
Rate
Latency

Correct answer: Duration

Duration recording measures the total elapsed time from the onset to the offset of a behavior across an observation period.

Question 69: Programming common stimuli is a strategy for promoting generalization that involves:

Removing all prompts from training before natural environment practice
Using the same reinforcer in training and in the natural setting
Reinforcing behavior only in the natural environment
Including stimuli from the natural environment in training sessions (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Including stimuli from the natural environment in training sessions

Programming common stimuli brings elements (people, materials, cues) from the natural environment into training so the behavior is more likely to transfer to that environment.

Question 70: Response generalization occurs when:

The same behavior is maintained after the program ends
The trained behavior occurs across novel settings
A different person elicits the trained response
Training one behavior leads to untrained but functionally similar responses increasing (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Training one behavior leads to untrained but functionally similar responses increasing

Response generalization is the spread of effects to untrained responses that are functionally equivalent to the trained behavior.

Question 71: A researcher wants to determine if a functional relationship exists between a reinforcement schedule and response rate. Which design best demonstrates experimental control?

Case study with narrative description
Pre-post group comparison without control group
Anecdotal observation across multiple settings
Reversal (ABA) design with repeated measurement (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Reversal (ABA) design with repeated measurement

Reversal designs demonstrate experimental control by showing behavior changes predictably with introduction and withdrawal of the independent variable.

Question 72: Ongoing professional development is an ethical obligation for BCBAs primarily because:

The science of behavior analysis evolves and practitioners must remain current to serve clients effectively (Correct answer)
BACB only requires CEUs for supervisors, not front-line BCBAs
CEUs are required only for BCBAs who work in school settings
Professional development is optional after passing the BCBA exam

Correct answer: The science of behavior analysis evolves and practitioners must remain current to serve clients effectively

BCBAs must pursue continuing education to maintain and expand competence in an evolving field, ensuring clients receive services based on current evidence and best practices.

Question 73: Stimulus control refers to:

The physical guidance used to prompt a response
A behavior occurring more frequently in the presence of a specific antecedent stimulus (Correct answer)
The suppression of behavior by a punishing stimulus
The reinforcement of behavior across all conditions

Correct answer: A behavior occurring more frequently in the presence of a specific antecedent stimulus

Stimulus control exists when a behavior reliably occurs in the presence of a discriminative stimulus (SD) and not in its absence.

Question 74: A motivating operation (MO) affects verbal behavior by:

Providing a discriminative stimulus for a specific response
Altering the reinforcing value of a stimulus and the frequency of behavior related to that stimulus (Correct answer)
Establishing a new conditioned reinforcer
Removing all consequences for the verbal response

Correct answer: Altering the reinforcing value of a stimulus and the frequency of behavior related to that stimulus

MOs have two effects: they alter how reinforcing a consequence is (value-altering effect) and they change the current frequency of behaviors that produce that consequence (behavior-altering effect).

Question 75: The BACB's RBT Task List specifies which competencies?

The research skills expected of doctoral-level behavior analysts
The skills RBTs must demonstrate to become certified and maintain certification (Correct answer)
The ethical principles specific to supervisors only
The coursework required for BCBA certification

Correct answer: The skills RBTs must demonstrate to become certified and maintain certification

The RBT Task List outlines the specific skills and knowledge areas RBTs must demonstrate to obtain and maintain their certification under BCBA supervision.

Question 76: Which procedure would be MOST appropriate to use when a learner has plateaued and is not making progress?

Conduct a preference assessment and adjust the reinforcer (Correct answer)
Continue the same procedure without changes for more sessions
Increase the number of mastered trials presented
Remove all prompts immediately

Correct answer: Conduct a preference assessment and adjust the reinforcer

When progress stalls, re-assessing reinforcer preference and adjusting the reinforcement system is a data-driven way to reignite motivation and learning.

ABA Applied Behavior Analysis Exam

The ABA Applied Behavior Analysis Exam assesses knowledge in behavior measurement and data collection, skill acquisition, verbal behavior, behavior reduction and ethics, generalization and maintenance, and professional conduct and supervision.

Questions

120 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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