ABAT ABAT Reinforcement Systems and Token Economies 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student earns tokens for completing math problems but stops responding when tokens are no longer exchangeable for backup reinforcers. This illustrates that tokens function as:
- Primary reinforcers
- Conditioned reinforcers (Correct answer)
- Negative reinforcers
- Unconditioned reinforcers
Correct answer: Conditioned reinforcers
Tokens are conditioned (secondary) reinforcers that acquire value through pairing with backup reinforcers (primary or other conditioned reinforcers).
Question 2: In a token economy, a child consistently hoards tokens rather than exchanging them. The BEST initial intervention is to:
- Remove the token economy entirely
- Shorten the exchange interval so tokens are cashed in more frequently (Correct answer)
- Increase the number of tokens required for backup reinforcers
- Deliver backup reinforcers non-contingently
Correct answer: Shorten the exchange interval so tokens are cashed in more frequently
Shortening the exchange interval reduces the delay to reinforcement, making the backup reinforcers more motivating and preventing hoarding.
Question 3: Which schedule of reinforcement produces the highest overall rate of responding but makes the behavior most vulnerable to extinction?
- Variable ratio
- Fixed ratio (Correct answer)
- Variable interval
- Fixed interval
Correct answer: Fixed ratio
Fixed ratio schedules produce high rates of responding but also a post-reinforcement pause and faster extinction compared to variable schedules.
Question 4: A teacher wants to use differential reinforcement to increase a student's on-task behavior. Which procedure delivers reinforcement only when the student is on-task at the moment of observation?
- DRI
- DRL
- DRO (Correct answer)
- DRH
Correct answer: DRO
Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) delivers reinforcement when the target behavior has not occurred during a set interval, which at the moment of delivery means the student is engaging in other (often on-task) behavior.
Question 5: During token economy implementation, a practitioner notices that some backup reinforcers have lost their reinforcing value for a learner. This is MOST likely due to:
- Negative punishment
- Satiation (Correct answer)
- Response cost
- Extinction burst
Correct answer: Satiation
Satiation occurs when a learner has had excessive access to a reinforcer, reducing its effectiveness as a motivating operation.
Question 6: A behavioral technician provides praise immediately after every correct response during discrete trial training. Over time, the learner appears indifferent to the praise. To address this, the technician should FIRST:
- Switch to a variable ratio schedule of praise
- Conduct a preference assessment to identify more effective reinforcers (Correct answer)
- Increase the magnitude of praise on each trial
- Implement a response cost procedure
Correct answer: Conduct a preference assessment to identify more effective reinforcers
A preference assessment helps identify currently potent reinforcers when existing ones have lost effectiveness due to satiation or inadequate value.
Question 7: Which term describes the process by which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned reinforcer through repeated pairing with an established reinforcer?
- Stimulus generalization
- Stimulus-stimulus pairing (Correct answer)
- Discriminative stimulus training
- Stimulus fading
Correct answer: Stimulus-stimulus pairing
Stimulus-stimulus pairing involves presenting a neutral stimulus immediately before or alongside an established reinforcer until the neutral stimulus acquires reinforcing properties.
ABAT ABAT Reinforcement Systems and Token Economies 4
A student earns tokens for completing math problems but stops responding when tokens are no longer exchangeable for backup reinforcers.
This illustrates that tokens function as: