ABAT Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Functions of Behavior

Question 1

A student repeatedly throws materials off his desk when given a difficult worksheet.
After observing that the behavior consistently stops when the teacher removes the worksheet, the behavior analyst concludes the behavior is maintained by which function?

Accepted Answer

Escape from demands

Answer

Automatic/sensory reinforcement

Answer

Attention from peers

Answer

Access to preferred items

Question 2

Which of the following best describes an ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) recording?

Accepted Answer

A narrative record of what happened before, during, and after each instance of a target behavior

Answer

A graph showing behavior frequency across sessions

Answer

A checklist completed at the end of a session summarizing all observed behaviors

Answer

A rating scale completed by caregivers about the frequency of challenging behavior at home

Question 3

What are the four most commonly identified functions of challenging behavior in ABA?

Accepted Answer

Attention, escape, access to tangibles, and automatic/sensory reinforcement

Answer

Frustration, boredom, anxiety, and confusion

Answer

Communication, emotion regulation, social skills deficits, and self-esteem

Answer

Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction

Question 4

A scatter plot is used in functional behavior assessment primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Identify times of day or conditions during which a target behavior is most and least likely to occur

Answer

Graph the total frequency of behavior across an entire school year

Answer

Measure the duration of each behavioral episode during a session

Answer

Record the specific consequences that follow a problem behavior

Question 5

Which type of functional behavior assessment involves the behavior analyst directly manipulating antecedents and consequences in a controlled way to test hypotheses about the function of behavior?

Accepted Answer

Functional analysis (experimental analysis)

Answer

Indirect assessment (interviews/rating scales)

Answer

Direct descriptive assessment (ABC recording)

Answer

Ecological inventory

Question 6

During an indirect functional behavior assessment, an RBT is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

Interview teachers, parents, and caregivers about when and where the behavior occurs

Answer

Conduct structured test conditions while manipulating reinforcers

Answer

Observe and record behavior in the natural environment without intervening

Answer

Review permanent products such as completed worksheets to count errors