ABA Generalization and Maintenance 2

Question 1

Maintenance of behavior is BEST supported by:

Accepted Answer

Thinning reinforcement schedules and shifting to naturally occurring reinforcers

Answer

Maintenance requires gradually reducing artificial reinforcement and transitioning to the natural reinforcers present in the environment so behavior persists without structured programming.

Question 2

A child learns to greet adults at school but not at a grocery store. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Failure to generalize (overly narrow stimulus control)

Answer

When a skill only occurs in the specific training environment and not across novel settings, stimulus control is too narrow — generalization across settings has not occurred.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

'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 4

Self-management strategies support maintenance and generalization by:

Accepted Answer

Teaching learners to monitor and reinforce their own behavior independently

Answer

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 5

What does 'behavioral trap' refer to in generalization programming?

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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.

ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis Practice Test

ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis Practice Test

ABA Generalization and Maintenance 2