Free BCBA Board Certified Behavior Analyst Experimental Design Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A behavior analyst is working with a client who engages in self-injurious behavior (SIB). The analyst wants to compare the effects of two different interventions (DRA and blocking) and a baseline condition. Given the severity of the behavior, withdrawing an effective intervention would be unethical. Which experimental design would be most appropriate for simultaneously comparing the interventions while minimizing ethical risks?
- A-B-A-B Reversal Design
- Multiple Baseline Design
- Alternating Treatments Design (Correct answer)
- Changing Criterion Design
Correct answer: Alternating Treatments Design
An alternating treatments design (also known as a multielement design) is the most appropriate choice because it allows for the rapid alternation of two or more interventions or conditions, enabling a quick comparison of their effects. [19] It does not require a lengthy withdrawal phase, which is crucial when dealing with dangerous behaviors like SIB, thus addressing the ethical concern of removing an effective treatment. [22]
Question 2: A BCBA implements a treatment package consisting of a token economy, prompting, and social praise to increase a student's completion of math assignments. The student's performance improves significantly. The BCBA now wants to determine how much social praise is necessary to maintain the behavior. Which type of analysis should be conducted?
- Component Analysis
- Comparative Analysis
- Parametric Analysis (Correct answer)
- Correlational Analysis
Correct answer: Parametric Analysis
A parametric analysis is used to determine the effective range or 'dosage' of a single independent variable. [3, 4] In this scenario, the BCBA has an effective treatment package and wants to specifically evaluate how different amounts or levels of one component (social praise) affect the target behavior. [1, 11]
Question 3: Which of the following is a primary ethical concern associated with the use of a reversal (A-B-A-B) design?
- It cannot be used to evaluate more than one treatment.
- It requires a significant amount of time to demonstrate a functional relation.
- The withdrawal of an effective intervention may be harmful to the client. [7, 8] (Correct answer)
- It is not effective for demonstrating experimental control.
Correct answer: The withdrawal of an effective intervention may be harmful to the client. [7, 8]
The primary ethical concern with a reversal design is the temporary removal of an intervention that has proven to be effective. [6, 25] If the intervention is successfully reducing a dangerous behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury) or increasing a critical skill, withdrawing it to return to baseline conditions could pose a risk to the client's safety or reverse their progress. [7, 8]
Question 4: A behavior analyst wants to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce a student's disruptive behavior in three different settings: the classroom, the cafeteria, and the playground. The analyst plans to introduce the intervention at different times in each setting. This describes which experimental design?
- Multiple Baseline Across Behaviors
- Multiple Baseline Across Settings (Correct answer)
- Reversal Design
- Changing Criterion Design
Correct answer: Multiple Baseline Across Settings
A multiple baseline across settings design involves establishing baselines for a single behavior in three or more different environments and then systematically introducing the intervention to each setting at a different point in time. [9, 13] This allows the analyst to demonstrate experimental control by showing that the behavior changes only when the intervention is implemented in that specific setting. [23]
Question 5: A researcher is conducting a study over a 12-month period to increase the social interactions of a young child. The researcher observes a steady increase in social interactions over the year. However, during this time, the child also starts attending a new preschool program known for its focus on social skills. The potential influence of the new preschool on the child's behavior is an example of which threat to internal validity?
- Instrumentation
- Maturation
- History (Correct answer)
- Testing
Correct answer: History
History refers to any external event that occurs during the course of an experiment that is not part of the intervention but may affect the dependent variable. [28, 29] In this case, the child's attendance at a new preschool is an uncontrolled event that could plausibly account for the observed increase in social interactions, confounding the effects of the intended intervention.
Question 6: When using an alternating treatments design, a potential confounding variable is that the effects of one treatment may carry over and influence the subject's behavior when the other treatment is presented. This is known as:
- Maturation
- Multiple Treatment Interference (Correct answer)
- Observer Drift
- Procedural Infidelity
Correct answer: Multiple Treatment Interference
Multiple treatment interference is a potential threat to internal validity in designs where two or more treatments are alternated, such as the alternating treatments design. [2] It occurs when the effects of one treatment are influenced by the presence of the other treatments being used in the same study, making it difficult to isolate the independent effects of each intervention. [17, 22]
Free BCBA Board Certified Behavior Analyst Experimental Design Questions and Answers
A behavior analyst is working with a client who engages in self-injurious behavior (SIB).
The analyst wants to compare the effects of two different interventions (DRA and blocking) and a baseline condition.
Given the severity of the behavior, withdrawing an effective intervention would be unethical.
Which experimental design would be most appropriate for simultaneously comparing the interventions while minimizing ethical risks?