RBT Behavior Reduction Test #3 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Sensory extinction is an extinction procedure designed for behaviors maintained by:
- Attention
- Escape
- Automatic (sensory) reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Tangible reinforcement
Correct answer: Automatic (sensory) reinforcement
Sensory extinction attempts to eliminate or mask the sensory consequence that maintains automatically reinforced behavior (e.g., applying padding to reduce sensory feedback from head-banging). Because the reinforcer is internal, this procedure can be difficult to implement consistently.
Question 2: Time-out from positive reinforcement is classified as:
- Positive punishment
- Negative punishment (Correct answer)
- Negative reinforcement
- Extinction
Correct answer: Negative punishment
Time-out involves the removal of access to positive reinforcement contingent on behavior, which decreases future occurrences. Because something desirable (access to reinforcement) is removed, it is classified as negative punishment.
Question 3: Before implementing any behavior reduction procedure, an RBT should verify that:
- The procedure is described in the approved behavior support plan (Correct answer)
- The client's parents prefer the procedure
- At least three sessions of baseline data have been collected today
- The procedure was used successfully with another client
Correct answer: The procedure is described in the approved behavior support plan
RBTs may only implement behavior reduction procedures that are explicitly approved by the supervising BCBA and documented in the client's behavior support plan. Implementing unapproved procedures is an ethics violation regardless of intention.
Question 4: Which of the following scenarios illustrates a competing pathway in a behavior intervention plan?
- Identifying that a behavior occurs more often on Mondays
- Specifying that a client will request a break to escape a demand instead of engaging in aggression (Correct answer)
- Recording the rate of behavior in a new environment
- Reducing the number of demands given per session
Correct answer: Specifying that a client will request a break to escape a demand instead of engaging in aggression
A competing pathway is an alternative response that produces the same reinforcer as the problem behavior through an acceptable route. Requesting a break achieves the same outcome (escape from demands) as aggression but is socially appropriate.
Question 5: Which behavior reduction approach is most consistent with a least-restrictive, rights-based framework?
- Immediately using physical restraint to stop all problem behavior
- Starting with the most intrusive intervention for fastest results
- Prioritizing positive behavior support and least intrusive strategies first (Correct answer)
- Relying entirely on punishment-based procedures
Correct answer: Prioritizing positive behavior support and least intrusive strategies first
A rights-based, least-restrictive approach requires that practitioners use the most positive and least intrusive interventions before resorting to more restrictive procedures. This hierarchy protects client dignity and is mandated by BACB ethical standards.
Question 6: Which measure would best capture the severity of a self-injurious behavior such as head-banging?
- Frequency count only
- A combination of frequency and a severity rating scale (Correct answer)
- Latency recording
- Partial-interval recording
Correct answer: A combination of frequency and a severity rating scale
Frequency alone may not capture the clinical significance of SIB if the intensity varies greatly. Pairing frequency data with a severity or intensity rating scale gives a fuller picture of the behavior and helps track whether interventions are reducing both how often and how severely the behavior occurs.
RBT Behavior Reduction Test #3 3
Sensory extinction is an extinction procedure designed for behaviors maintained by: