BAS Treatment Approaches and Interventions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A supervisor is reviewing a client's behavior intervention plan that uses extinction. Which scenario best illustrates an extinction burst the team should be prepared for?
- The target behavior immediately disappears after reinforcement is withheld
- The target behavior temporarily increases in frequency and intensity before declining (Correct answer)
- A previously extinguished behavior reappears after a period of no treatment
- The client begins engaging in a different, lower-rate problem behavior instead
Correct answer: The target behavior temporarily increases in frequency and intensity before declining
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in the frequency, duration, or intensity of the target behavior when reinforcement is first withheld.
Question 2: When implementing Functional Communication Training (FCT), the supervisor ensures that the mand taught to replace problem behavior has which critical property?
- It must be a vocal verbal response regardless of the learner's abilities
- It must produce the same reinforcer that was maintaining the problem behavior (Correct answer)
- It must be more effortful than the problem behavior to ensure motivation
- It must be taught only after the problem behavior reaches near-zero rates
Correct answer: It must produce the same reinforcer that was maintaining the problem behavior
FCT works because the replacement mand accesses the same maintaining reinforcer as the problem behavior, making it functionally equivalent.
Question 3: A BAS is designing a token economy for a classroom. Which feature is most critical to include to maintain the tokens' conditioned reinforcing value?
- Using large, colorful physical tokens that are visually appealing
- Pairing tokens consistently with backup reinforcers during exchanges (Correct answer)
- Allowing students to accumulate unlimited tokens without exchange limits
- Delivering tokens on a fixed-ratio 1 schedule for every behavior
Correct answer: Pairing tokens consistently with backup reinforcers during exchanges
Tokens maintain their conditioned reinforcing value through consistent pairing with backup reinforcers at exchange.
Question 4: A supervisor is using a Concurrent Operants framework to explain why a client chooses problem behavior over communication. According to matching law, what change would most directly shift responding toward the communication response?
- Punishing the problem behavior with a brief reprimand after each occurrence
- Increasing the rate and immediacy of reinforcement for the communication response (Correct answer)
- Decreasing the effort required to engage in the problem behavior
- Providing a richer environment with more stimulation between sessions
Correct answer: Increasing the rate and immediacy of reinforcement for the communication response
Matching law predicts that behavior allocates toward the response alternative with the higher reinforcement rate and immediacy.
Question 5: Which component distinguishes Behavioral Skills Training (BST) from simple instruction-based training for staff?
- BST relies exclusively on video modeling without live practice
- BST includes instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback as a combined package (Correct answer)
- BST is only appropriate for teaching discrete trial teaching procedures
- BST requires trainees to pass a written exam before any practical component
Correct answer: BST includes instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback as a combined package
BST is a comprehensive package combining instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and performance feedback to build behavioral skills.
Question 6: A supervisor reviewing data notices that a self-injurious behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement is not responding to a competing stimulation intervention. What is the most theoretically sound adjustment?
- Switch to a function-based intervention using social positive reinforcement instead
- Identify a competing stimulus that more closely matches the sensory properties of the SIB (Correct answer)
- Increase session length to allow more exposure to the competing stimulus
- Add a punishment component as the primary intervention strategy
Correct answer: Identify a competing stimulus that more closely matches the sensory properties of the SIB
For behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement, competing stimuli are most effective when they match the sensory modality of the maintaining reinforcer.
Question 7: A Behavior Analyst Supervisor is evaluating whether to use High-Probability (High-p) Request Sequences before a low-probability demand. What is the primary behavioral mechanism by which this procedure increases compliance?
- Habituation to the low-p task due to repeated exposure across the sequence
- Behavioral momentum built by a series of reinforced responses transfers to the low-p request (Correct answer)
- Satiation of escape motivation prevents the client from refusing the low-p task
- Discrimination training between high-p and low-p stimuli reduces avoidance responding
Correct answer: Behavioral momentum built by a series of reinforced responses transfers to the low-p request
High-p sequences work via behavioral momentum: a history of reinforced responding creates persistence that carries over into the low-p request.
BAS Treatment Approaches and Interventions 2
A supervisor is reviewing a client's behavior intervention plan that uses extinction.
Which scenario best illustrates an extinction burst the team should be prepared for?