BCABA Stimulus Control and Antecedent Interventions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Least-to-most (LTM) prompting involves:
- Beginning with the most intrusive prompt and systematically fading to less intrusive prompts
- Beginning with the least intrusive prompt and increasing intrusiveness only if the learner does not respond correctly (Correct answer)
- Providing all prompt levels simultaneously and then fading them together
- Delivering prompts based solely on a fixed time schedule
Correct answer: Beginning with the least intrusive prompt and increasing intrusiveness only if the learner does not respond correctly
LTM prompting starts with the least assistance needed and escalates prompt intrusiveness only when the learner does not respond independently, promoting independent responding from the beginning.
Question 2: Time delay procedures are used primarily to:
- Transfer stimulus control from prompts to natural cues by inserting a pause between the SD and the prompt (Correct answer)
- Delay the delivery of reinforcement to strengthen the learner's tolerance for waiting
- Gradually fade antecedent stimuli across multiple sessions
- Increase the latency requirement between the SD presentation and the acceptable response
Correct answer: Transfer stimulus control from prompts to natural cues by inserting a pause between the SD and the prompt
Time delay inserts an interval between the SD and the prompt, giving the learner an opportunity to respond independently, thereby gradually transferring stimulus control from the prompt to the natural cue.
Question 3: Errorless learning procedures are designed to:
- Teach learners to tolerate making errors without displaying frustration
- Minimize errors during skill acquisition by using intrusive prompts from the outset of training (Correct answer)
- Shape behavior through successive approximations with natural error correction
- Allow errors to occur and then implement extinction following incorrect responses
Correct answer: Minimize errors during skill acquisition by using intrusive prompts from the outset of training
Errorless learning uses intensive prompting at the start of training to prevent incorrect responses, then systematically fades prompts to transfer stimulus control while keeping error rates near zero.
Question 4: Stimulus fading involves:
- Gradually altering the physical dimensions of the antecedent stimulus to transfer stimulus control to the natural cue (Correct answer)
- Systematically removing response prompts across successive training trials
- Presenting stimuli on an increasingly intermittent schedule to promote maintenance
- Replacing one conditioned reinforcer with another over the course of training
Correct answer: Gradually altering the physical dimensions of the antecedent stimulus to transfer stimulus control to the natural cue
Stimulus fading systematically changes the physical characteristics of the discriminative stimulus itself (e.g., size, color, intensity) to shift control from an exaggerated cue to the natural, unmodified stimulus.
Question 5: A response prompt is best defined as:
- An alteration made to the target antecedent stimulus to make the correct response more salient
- A supplemental stimulus added to the training context that directly cues the desired response (Correct answer)
- A reinforcer delivered immediately contingent on the correct response to strengthen it
- A change in the behavioral topography that makes the response physically easier to emit
Correct answer: A supplemental stimulus added to the training context that directly cues the desired response
A response prompt is an added stimulus (e.g., model, gesture, physical guidance) that directly increases the probability of the correct response, acting on the learner's behavior rather than on the target discriminative stimulus.
Question 6: Transfer of stimulus control refers to:
- Moving a learner from a continuous to an intermittent reinforcement schedule
- Shifting control over a response from supplemental prompts to the natural discriminative stimulus (Correct answer)
- Teaching a behavior in one setting and observing it spontaneously in a novel setting
- Replacing one discriminative stimulus with a more salient stimulus during training
Correct answer: Shifting control over a response from supplemental prompts to the natural discriminative stimulus
Transfer of stimulus control is the process of shifting behavioral control from training prompts to the natural SD through systematic prompt fading, so the learner responds independently to the natural cue.
Question 7: Most-to-least (MTL) prompting is most appropriate when:
- The learner has a well-established history of responding independently to similar tasks
- The target behavior involves safety risks or the learner has a history of reinforced errors (Correct answer)
- The target behavior has already been partially acquired across multiple settings
- Generalization across settings has already been demonstrated and only fluency is needed
Correct answer: The target behavior involves safety risks or the learner has a history of reinforced errors
MTL prompting begins with the most intrusive level of assistance to prevent errors from occurring and is especially appropriate when safety is a concern or when errors have previously been inadvertently reinforced.
BCABA Stimulus Control and Antecedent Interventions 2
Least-to-most (LTM) prompting involves: