BCABA Behavior Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Preference assessments are conducted to identify stimuli that may serve as:
- Establishing operations
- Potential reinforcers (Correct answer)
- Punishers
- Discriminative stimuli
Correct answer: Potential reinforcers
Preference assessments identify high-preference stimuli that are likely to function as reinforcers when used contingently in intervention.
Question 2: In a paired-stimulus (forced-choice) preference assessment, items are presented:
- One at a time with choice recorded
- Two at a time and the client selects one (Correct answer)
- All at once on a table
- In a random sequence without choice
Correct answer: Two at a time and the client selects one
In a paired-stimulus assessment, each possible pair of items is presented systematically and approach responses toward each item are tallied to rank preference.
Question 3: A multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment differs from a multiple-stimulus with replacement (MSW) in that:
- Items are presented one at a time
- The chosen item is removed from subsequent trials (Correct answer)
- The client ranks items verbally
- No approach response is required
Correct answer: The chosen item is removed from subsequent trials
In MSWO, once an item is selected it is not returned to the array, making each subsequent choice from a progressively smaller set.
Question 4: Stimulus control refers to:
- A reinforcer controlling a behavior
- A discriminative stimulus reliably evoking a behavior (Correct answer)
- Punishment controlling behavior
- An establishing operation setting the context
Correct answer: A discriminative stimulus reliably evoking a behavior
Stimulus control exists when a behavior reliably occurs in the presence of a specific antecedent stimulus (SD) and not in its absence.
Question 5: Reinforcer assessments differ from preference assessments in that reinforcer assessments:
- Use only indirect methods
- Verify that a preferred stimulus actually increases behavior when used contingently (Correct answer)
- Identify what the client likes without testing effectiveness
- Rank items by preference alone
Correct answer: Verify that a preferred stimulus actually increases behavior when used contingently
Reinforcer assessments empirically test whether a preferred stimulus increases the future frequency of a behavior when delivered contingently.
Question 6: Which assessment approach uses structured interviews and rating scales completed by parents or caregivers to gather information about behavior?
- Descriptive observation
- Functional analysis
- Indirect assessment (Correct answer)
- Concurrent-chains procedure
Correct answer: Indirect assessment
Indirect assessments rely on verbal reports from people familiar with the client and include tools such as the Functional Assessment Interview (FAI) and QABF.
BCABA Behavior Assessment 2
Preference assessments are conducted to identify stimuli that may serve as: