BCAT Data Collection & Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When graphing behavior data, which axis should always represent the behavior being measured?
- The x-axis (horizontal)
- The y-axis (vertical) (Correct answer)
- Both axes equally
- Neither axis — behavior is noted in the legend
Correct answer: The y-axis (vertical)
In behavior analysis graphs, the y-axis (ordinate) represents the dependent variable, which is the behavior being measured.
Question 2: A client's data shows a flat, stable trend for three consecutive weeks despite an active intervention. This pattern is BEST described as:
- A therapeutic change in behavior
- A zero-celerating or horizontal trend (Correct answer)
- Variability in the data
- A decreasing trend
Correct answer: A zero-celerating or horizontal trend
A flat or zero-celerating trend means the behavior is neither increasing nor decreasing, which may prompt the BCBA to modify the intervention.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes latency recording?
- Recording the number of times a behavior occurs in a session
- Recording the time between the onset and offset of a behavior
- Recording the time elapsed from a stimulus to the start of a behavior (Correct answer)
- Recording whether a behavior occurs at the end of each interval
Correct answer: Recording the time elapsed from a stimulus to the start of a behavior
Latency recording measures the elapsed time from the presentation of a discriminative stimulus (SD) to the initiation of the target response.
Question 4: A technician is recording data using whole interval recording. The behavior must occur:
- At least once during the interval
- Only at the start of the interval
- Throughout the entire interval to be scored (Correct answer)
- At the midpoint of the interval
Correct answer: Throughout the entire interval to be scored
Whole interval recording only scores an interval if the behavior is present for the entire duration of that interval, which tends to underestimate behavior occurrence.
Question 5: A phase change line on a behavior graph indicates:
- That the client's goal has been mastered
- A change in the independent variable or treatment condition (Correct answer)
- An error in data collection
- A significant data outlier
Correct answer: A change in the independent variable or treatment condition
A vertical phase change line separates different experimental conditions or intervention changes on a behavior graph.
Question 6: If a BCAT calculates that a client emitted 45 responses during a 15-minute session, the rate of behavior is:
- 3 responses per minute (Correct answer)
- 45 responses per hour
- 0.33 responses per minute
- 15 responses per minute
Correct answer: 3 responses per minute
Rate is calculated by dividing the total count (45) by the observation time in minutes (15), yielding 3 responses per minute.
Question 7: Anecdotal (narrative) recording is LEAST likely to be useful for:
- Generating hypotheses about behavior function
- Describing novel or unexpected behaviors
- Providing precise quantitative data about behavior frequency (Correct answer)
- Documenting contextual details during an incident
Correct answer: Providing precise quantitative data about behavior frequency
Narrative recording captures descriptive information but lacks the quantitative precision needed to measure frequency, rate, or duration reliably.
BCAT Data Collection & Analysis 3
When graphing behavior data, which axis should always represent the behavior being measured?