ABAT - Applied Behavior Analysis Measurement and Data Collection Questions and Answers 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'dead man test' in ABA measurement is used to determine whether:
- A behavior has a clear discriminative stimulus
- A target behavior is a genuine behavior (something a person does, not the absence of behavior) (Correct answer)
- A measurement system is reliable
- An observer is unbiased during data collection
Correct answer: A target behavior is a genuine behavior (something a person does, not the absence of behavior)
If a dead man could do it (e.g., 'not hitting'), it fails the dead man test and is not a behavior suitable for direct measurement.
Question 2: Interresponse time (IRT) is defined as the elapsed time:
- Between a stimulus and the first response
- From the start to the end of a single response
- Between the end of one response and the beginning of the next (Correct answer)
- Between the behavior analyst's prompt and client compliance
Correct answer: Between the end of one response and the beginning of the next
IRT measures the duration between the offset of one response and the onset of the subsequent response.
Question 3: An observer scores an interval as '+' only if the target behavior occurs for the entire duration of that interval. This describes:
- Partial-interval recording
- Whole-interval recording (Correct answer)
- Momentary time sampling
- Event recording
Correct answer: Whole-interval recording
Whole-interval recording requires the behavior to be present throughout the entire interval for a positive score, which tends to underestimate behavior.
Question 4: A behavior analyst needs an IOA of at least what percentage to demonstrate adequate interobserver reliability?
- 60%
- 70%
- 80% (Correct answer)
- 95%
Correct answer: 80%
The field standard is ≥80% IOA, which indicates acceptable measurement reliability between observers.
Question 5: Which graph type is most commonly used in ABA to display behavioral data because it clearly shows changes over time and across conditions?
- Bar graph
- Pie chart
- Line graph (Correct answer)
- Histogram
Correct answer: Line graph
Line graphs display data points connected across time, making it easy to visualize trends, variability, and effects of condition changes.
Question 6: When a behavior analyst splits a phase line on a graph, it signals:
- A change in the target behavior's topography
- A procedural change within an ongoing phase (Correct answer)
- The end of data collection
- The start of a new baseline phase
Correct answer: A procedural change within an ongoing phase
A split (dashed) phase line indicates a minor procedural modification occurred within the same overall condition without warranting a full new phase.
Question 7: Social validity in measurement refers to:
- Whether the measurement tool produces consistent results across observers
- The degree to which goals, procedures, and outcomes are acceptable and meaningful to stakeholders (Correct answer)
- The extent to which a measure generalizes across settings
- The statistical significance of behavioral changes
Correct answer: The degree to which goals, procedures, and outcomes are acceptable and meaningful to stakeholders
Social validity evaluates whether intervention goals, procedures, and outcomes are valued and considered important by clients, families, and the broader community.
ABAT - Applied Behavior Analysis Measurement and Data Collection Questions and Answers 5
The 'dead man test' in ABA measurement is used to determine whether: