FREE Foundational Knowledge Questions and Answers Flashcards

A behavior analyst is using differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) with a 5-minute interval. The target behavior occurs at minute 4. According to DRO protocol, what is the correct procedural response?

Answer: Reset the interval timer and withhold reinforcement until a full 5-minute interval passes without the target behavior

In a DRO procedure, reinforcement is delivered only when the target behavior has NOT occurred during the entire interval. Any occurrence of the target behavior resets the interval timer. The analyst must withhold reinforcement and restart the full interval, regardless of when within the interval the behavior occurred.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of 'behavioral momentum' as described by Nevin (1988)?

Answer: A learner continues to emit a previously reinforced response more persistently in extinction when that response had a richer reinforcement history

Behavioral momentum refers to the persistence of behavior in the face of disruption (such as extinction). Nevin's research demonstrated that behaviors with a richer history of reinforcement are more resistant to change — analogous to physical momentum. A response that was reinforced more frequently or on richer schedules will persist longer during extinction than one with a leaner reinforcement history.

A client frequently engages in property destruction when given instructions. A functional analysis reveals behavior maintained by escape. The practitioner implements an extinction procedure in which escape is no longer provided after property destruction. Which phenomenon is MOST likely to occur immediately following extinction implementation?

Answer: A temporary increase in the rate and intensity of property destruction (extinction burst)

An extinction burst is the most immediate and predictable phenomenon following the onset of extinction — behavior typically increases in rate, duration, or intensity before it decreases. This is especially important to anticipate when the target behavior is property destruction, as the temporary escalation poses safety considerations. Spontaneous recovery and behavioral contrast can also occur but are not the most immediate expected outcome.

In the context of stimulus control, a pigeon is trained to peck a red key for reinforcement. When tested with orange and yellow keys, responding generalizes, with the highest responding on red and progressively less responding as stimuli differ more from red. This pattern is called:

Answer: A generalization gradient

A generalization gradient depicts the relationship between degree of stimulus similarity to the trained discriminative stimulus (S+) and response rate. Responding peaks at the trained stimulus and decreases as stimuli deviate more from it along a physical dimension (e.g., wavelength/color). This gradient provides evidence that stimulus control was established and also illustrates stimulus generalization.

A practitioner records that a client emitted 12 responses in the first 10 minutes, 3 responses in the next 10 minutes, and 1 response in the final 10 minutes of a session. Which measurement concept BEST describes the pattern of within-session data, and what is it typically indicative of?

Answer: A negatively accelerating response pattern; may indicate that the behavior is on extinction or that establishing operations are waning

A negatively accelerating (decelerating) within-session pattern — where responding is highest early and tapers over time — is characteristic of extinction or diminishing motivating operations. As the session progresses, if reinforcement is unavailable or the establishing operation weakens (e.g., deprivation state decreases), response rates decline. This pattern is important to distinguish from a postreinforcement pause (which is brief and tied to ratio delivery) or a fixed-interval scallop (which recurs cyclically).

According to Cooper, Heron, and Heward, which of the following is the most accurate distinction between a 'rule-governed behavior' and a 'contingency-shaped behavior'?

Answer: Contingency-shaped behavior is controlled by direct contact with reinforcement contingencies, whereas rule-governed behavior is controlled by verbal antecedents describing contingencies

Contingency-shaped behavior develops through direct, repeated contact with the three-term contingency — the behavior is shaped by its actual consequences over time. Rule-governed behavior, in contrast, is controlled by verbal stimuli (rules) that describe contingencies without requiring the learner to experience them directly. A key practical implication is that rule-governed behavior can be established quickly but may be less sensitive to changes in actual contingencies, while contingency-shaped behavior tends to be more adaptive to subtle environmental changes.