CDT Behavior Modification Protocols 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which schedule of reinforcement is most effective for maintaining a behavior that has already been learned through behavior modification?
- Continuous reinforcement (CRF)
- Fixed ratio schedule
- Variable ratio schedule (Correct answer)
- Fixed interval schedule
Correct answer: Variable ratio schedule
Variable ratio schedules produce the highest rates of responding and greatest resistance to extinction, making them ideal for maintaining learned behaviors.
Question 2: A dog displays separation anxiety by destroying furniture only after the owner has been gone for more than 30 minutes. What is the most appropriate initial step?
- Leave the dog alone for progressively longer periods starting at 45 minutes
- Begin departure cue desensitization and keep initial absences under the dog's anxiety threshold (Correct answer)
- Confine the dog to a crate to prevent destruction
- Medicate the dog before implementing any behavioral protocol
Correct answer: Begin departure cue desensitization and keep initial absences under the dog's anxiety threshold
Desensitizing departure cues and keeping absences below the dog's current anxiety threshold prevents rehearsal of the panic response while building tolerance.
Question 3: In the context of behavior modification, what does 'extinction burst' refer to?
- A rapid increase in the rate of learning during extinction training
- A temporary increase in the intensity or frequency of a behavior when reinforcement is first removed (Correct answer)
- The permanent elimination of a behavior after extinction is complete
- A burst of calm behavior that signals successful extinction
Correct answer: A temporary increase in the intensity or frequency of a behavior when reinforcement is first removed
An extinction burst is the temporary increase in an unwanted behavior's frequency or intensity that occurs when reinforcement is first withheld.
Question 4: Which of the following is the best example of 'negative reinforcement' used appropriately in behavior modification?
- Removing the dog's favorite toy when it jumps up
- Releasing leash pressure when the dog moves in the desired direction (Correct answer)
- Adding a correction when the dog barks
- Giving a treat after the dog sits quietly
Correct answer: Releasing leash pressure when the dog moves in the desired direction
Releasing leash pressure (removing an aversive stimulus) when the dog moves correctly is negative reinforcement — it increases the probability of the desired movement.
Question 5: A trainer wants to reduce a dog's compulsive tail-chasing using a DRI protocol. DRI stands for:
- Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior (Correct answer)
- Direct Reinforcement Intervention
- Desensitization and Reinforcement Integration
- Differential Removal of Inappropriate behavior
Correct answer: Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior
DRI — Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior — reinforces a behavior that physically cannot occur at the same time as the unwanted behavior.
Question 6: A dog that once was attacked by another dog now barks and lunges at all dogs. This is an example of:
- Habituation
- Sensitization through one-trial learning (Correct answer)
- Operant conditioning
- Latent inhibition
Correct answer: Sensitization through one-trial learning
A single traumatic event (one-trial learning) can create a strong conditioned fear response that generalizes to the entire category of stimuli (all dogs).
Question 7: When implementing BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training) for a dog reactive to other dogs, the functional reinforcer is typically:
- High-value food delivered by the trainer
- Increased proximity to the trigger dog
- Distance from the trigger dog following a calm behavior (Correct answer)
- Play with a toy as a distraction
Correct answer: Distance from the trigger dog following a calm behavior
In BAT, the functional reinforcer is the natural consequence of creating distance from the trigger, which is what the reactive dog actually wants.
CDT Behavior Modification Protocols 3
Which schedule of reinforcement is most effective for maintaining a behavior that has already been learned through behavior modification?