ABAT FREE Foundational Knowledge Questions and Answers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes a stimulus that acquires reinforcing properties by being paired with an already established reinforcer?
- Unconditioned reinforcer
- Conditioned reinforcer (Correct answer)
- Generalized reinforcer
- Negative reinforcer
Correct answer: Conditioned reinforcer
A conditioned (secondary) reinforcer gains its reinforcing value through pairing with an unconditioned or other established reinforcer.
Question 2: A teacher stops nagging a student once the student begins working. The increase in on-task behavior is an example of:
- Positive reinforcement
- Positive punishment
- Negative reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Extinction
Correct answer: Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus (nagging) contingent on a behavior, increasing that behavior.
Question 3: In a fixed-ratio (FR) schedule of reinforcement, the pause observed after each reinforcer delivery is called:
- Post-reinforcement pause (Correct answer)
- Inter-trial interval
- Extinction burst
- Satiation effect
Correct answer: Post-reinforcement pause
A post-reinforcement pause is the temporary cessation of responding immediately after reinforcement on fixed schedules.
Question 4: Which measurement strategy captures the number of times a behavior occurs within a specific time period?
- Duration recording
- Latency recording
- Frequency (event) recording (Correct answer)
- Momentary time sampling
Correct answer: Frequency (event) recording
Frequency or event recording tallies each discrete occurrence of a behavior, yielding a count per observation period.
Question 5: An ABA practitioner withholds reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior. The initial temporary increase in the behavior before it decreases is called:
- Behavioral momentum
- Extinction burst (Correct answer)
- Spontaneous recovery
- Response generalization
Correct answer: Extinction burst
An extinction burst is the temporary increase in frequency, intensity, or variability of behavior when reinforcement is first discontinued.
Question 6: Which type of prompt involves a practitioner physically guiding a learner through a target response?
- Gestural prompt
- Model prompt
- Physical prompt (Correct answer)
- Positional prompt
Correct answer: Physical prompt
A physical prompt involves hand-over-hand or other physical contact to guide the learner's body through the desired movement.
Question 7: The three-term contingency in ABA is often depicted as which sequence?
- Behavior → Antecedent → Consequence
- Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence (Correct answer)
- Consequence → Behavior → Antecedent
- Reinforcer → Response → Stimulus
Correct answer: Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence
The three-term contingency (ABC) describes Antecedent conditions that precede a Behavior, followed by a Consequence.
ABAT FREE Foundational Knowledge Questions and Answers 3
Which term describes a stimulus that acquires reinforcing properties by being paired with an already established reinforcer?