- Applied Behavior Analysis Autism Core Knowledge Questions and Answers Flashcards

A behavior analyst is using a concurrent operants arrangement to assess reinforcer preference. The client consistently chooses item A over item B, but consumption of item A drops sharply after 3 minutes of access. Which concept BEST explains this pattern and what is the appropriate clinical response?

Answer: Satiation is occurring; rotate item A out and reassess after a deprivation period before using it as a reinforcer

Rapid consumption followed by a drop in engagement with item A is a hallmark of satiation — the reinforcing value diminishes with continued access. The correct response is to remove the item, allow a deprivation period to restore its value, and retest before using it as a programmatic reinforcer. Contrast effects and MO deficits do not account for the within-session consumption pattern described.

During discrete trial training with a child with ASD, the behavior analyst notices that correct responding is high in the therapy room but near zero in the classroom. The analyst suspects stimulus overselectivity. Which intervention is MOST directly supported by the ABA literature to address this?

Answer: Use multiple-exemplar training across varied stimuli, people, and settings during acquisition

Stimulus overselectivity occurs when a learner responds to only a narrow subset of the relevant cues. Multiple-exemplar training — presenting varied examples of the target stimulus across settings, people, and materials — directly addresses this by expanding the stimulus class that controls the response, facilitating generalization. Increasing trial density or changing prompting hierarchies does not resolve the underlying selectivity.

An ABAT is collecting data using a partial-interval recording system on self-injurious behavior (SIB) occurring an average of 12 times per minute. A colleague suggests switching to whole-interval recording to get a 'more accurate' count. Which statement BEST evaluates this suggestion?

Answer: The suggestion is incorrect; partial-interval recording overestimates, and whole-interval underestimates occurrence — neither gives a true count, and frequency or continuous recording should be used for high-rate behaviors

Partial-interval recording is known to overestimate behavior occurrence (records the interval as positive even if behavior occurred only briefly), while whole-interval recording underestimates (requires behavior throughout the entire interval). For high-rate behaviors like SIB at 12 responses/minute, neither interval method is ideal — continuous event recording (frequency count) or time sampling with very short intervals provides the most accurate representation.

A behavior analyst implements a non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) schedule to reduce problem behavior maintained by attention. Initially the schedule is fixed-time (FT) 30 seconds. The behavior decreases significantly, but the client begins to show a post-reinforcer pause similar to what is seen with fixed-ratio schedules. What is the MOST appropriate next clinical step?

Answer: Shift to a variable-time (VT) schedule to eliminate the temporal predictability and the associated pause

The post-reinforcer pause on an FT schedule occurs because the fixed temporal interval becomes a discriminative stimulus — the client 'learns' when the next reinforcer is coming and problem behavior clusters just before delivery. Switching to a variable-time (VT) schedule removes this predictability, distributing reinforcer delivery unpredictably and eliminating the temporal pattern. Thinning the FT schedule would worsen the pause; adding extinction or switching to DRO changes the function of the intervention.

A functional analysis (FA) of a 10-year-old client's aggression yields elevated rates in BOTH the attention condition AND the tangible condition, with near-zero rates in escape and alone conditions. The behavior analyst concludes the behavior is multiply controlled. Which treatment approach is MOST consistent with this FA outcome?

Answer: Use functional communication training (FCT) teaching two separate manta responses — one to access attention and one to access tangibles — while placing both on extinction

When an FA reveals multiple maintaining functions (here, attention and tangibles), treatment must address each function. FCT is the evidence-based choice: a separate communicative response is taught for each reinforcer class (e.g., 'play with me' for attention; 'I want X' for tangibles), and extinction is applied to the problem behavior in both contexts. Targeting only one function leaves the other untreated, perpetuating problem behavior. A DRO addresses the topography without teaching a replacement, and a multiply controlled result does not invalidate the FA.

A behavior analyst is training a paraprofessional using behavioral skills training (BST). After four sessions the paraprofessional scores 85% on role-play probes but implementation fidelity in the natural setting is only 55%. Which explanation and corrective action is MOST consistent with ABA principles?

Answer: The role-play context lacks sufficient stimulus similarity to the natural environment; conduct in-situ training with feedback during actual sessions to close the generalization gap

High performance in role-play but low performance in the natural setting indicates a generalization failure — the skills have not transferred from the training context to the real environment. This is a common BST limitation when role-plays lack sufficient stimulus fidelity. In-situ training (conducting BST in the actual work environment with real clients, materials, and contingencies) directly addresses this by training in the context where performance is required. Motivational interventions and restarting BST from scratch do not target the identified generalization problem.