Behavior Reduction Flashcards

Sam has migraines, which can be incredibly painful and last for days. As a result, Sam was administered a migraine-alleviating drug. Michael asks his mum for migraine medication whenever he has one. Sam's migraine is less severe once his mother administers the medication. What may Michael's hypothetical purpose be in asking his mother for medicine?

Answer: Social Negative

Michael asks his mom for migraine medication, and his mom administers it, which reduces the severity of his migraine. Michael's behavior of asking for medication is reinforced because it leads to the removal of an aversive stimulus (the migraine pain). Since his mom mediates the delivery of the medication, it is considered social negative reinforcement.

When an adolescent self-injures himself to relieve a toothache, the self-injury is sustained by_________ .

Answer: Automatic negative reinforcement

If an adolescent self-injures to relieve a toothache, the self-injury is reinforced by the reduction or removal of internal pain. This consequence is not mediated by another person ('automatic') and involves the removal of an aversive stimulus ('negative'), thus it is automatic negative reinforcement.

When Sandra interrupts her parents' conversation, they reprimand her and explain why interrupting is impolite. As a result, Sandra continues to talk over her parents. This is an illustration of ______

Answer: Positive reinforcement

Sandra continues to talk over her parents even after being reprimanded. This indicates that the reprimand, which is a stimulus *added* to the environment (positive), is actually *increasing* the likelihood of her interrupting behavior. Therefore, the reprimand is functioning as a positive reinforcer, even if it's intended as punishment.

When Sandra walks into the house, she is informed that she will not be able to watch television since her father is watching a show. As a result, Sandra draws closer to her father, moaning and tugging at his limbs. Sandra's father eventually permits her to watch television. Sandra's whimpering and tugging behavior has continued for almost a month as a result of this. What hypothetical purpose does Sandra's whining and tugging on her father serve?

Answer: Tangibles

Sandra is initially denied access to television, which is a tangible item/activity. Her whining and tugging behavior then results in her father allowing her to watch television. This indicates that her behavior is maintained by gaining access to a desired item or activity, which is the definition of the tangibles function.

A functionally equivalent replacement behavior for a youngster who participates in problem behaviors to avoid nonpreferred work could be ______ .

Answer: Using a "break" card

A functionally equivalent replacement behavior serves the same purpose as the problem behavior but is socially appropriate. If a child engages in problem behaviors to avoid nonpreferred work (escape function), then using a 'break' card allows them to appropriately request a break from the work, thus achieving the same outcome (escape) in an acceptable manner.

The function of a child's persistent tapping of his pencil on the table, which is reinforced by the sound of the pencil hitting the table, is ________ .

Answer: Automatic positive reinforcement

The child's pencil tapping is reinforced by the sound it produces, which is an internal sensory consequence. Since the reinforcement is self-produced and involves the addition of a desirable sensory experience (the sound), it is an example of automatic positive reinforcement.

Jayson curses every time his mother prepares broccoli for dinner. When Jayson swears, his mother sends him to his room without dinner. As a result, when Jayson's mother prepares broccoli, he is more likely to swear. This is an illustration of ___________ .

Answer: Negative reinforcement

Jayson curses when his mother prepares broccoli, and as a result, he is sent to his room without dinner, meaning he *escapes* eating the broccoli. Since this consequence *removes* the aversive stimulus (broccoli) and *increases* the likelihood of him cursing in the future when broccoli is present, it is an example of negative reinforcement.

Samantha is a naughty young lady who has a history of interrupting her parents' serious talks or phone calls. In most cases, her parents will pause their discussion, admonish her, and explain why interrupting is rude in a heightened, agitated tone of voice. As a result, Samantha continues to interrupt her parents when they are conversing with others. Nikki's parents are baffled as to why she continues to do this despite their reprimands. What is Samantha's hypothetical purpose in interrupting?

Answer: Attention

Samantha's parents pause their discussion, admonish her, and use a heightened tone of voice in response to her interruptions. These reactions, even if negative, provide Samantha with social interaction and focus. Since her interrupting behavior continues despite these reprimands, it suggests that the attention she receives is reinforcing the behavior, making attention her hypothetical purpose.

Danny has noticed that whenever he asks his daughter to wash her teeth, she complains. Danny usually gives her some extra time before asking her to wash her teeth again in response to her fussing. What is the purpose of whining, in theory?

Answer: Escape

Danny's daughter complains when asked to wash her teeth, and in response, Danny gives her extra time before asking again. This consequence allows the daughter to temporarily avoid or postpone an undesirable task (washing her teeth). Since her fussing behavior continues, its purpose is theoretically to escape or delay the demand.

An ________ operation reduces the value of a stimulus and the action that has previously been connected with it.

Answer: Abolishing

An abolishing operation (AO) is a motivating operation that decreases the current effectiveness of a reinforcer. Consequently, it also reduces the frequency of behaviors that have previously been reinforced by that stimulus. For example, if you are no longer hungry after a large meal, food's value as a reinforcer is abolished, and you are less likely to seek food.

Jonathan is a self-destructive person (SIB). No apparent antecedent or consequence has been established using Jacob's RBTs. Despite the actions of others, the behavior continues. SIB, for example, can happen even when no one is there, and no one notices. What may SIB's hypothetical function be?

Answer: Automatic

When a behavior, such as self-injurious behavior (SIB), occurs without any apparent external antecedents or consequences from others, and continues even when no one is present or noticing, it is often maintained by automatic reinforcement. This means the behavior itself produces a sensory or internal consequence that is reinforcing to the individual, without requiring social mediation.

What is the BCBA most clearly manipulating if a child consistently yells anytime the word "angry" is stated out loud, thus the BCBA instructs the therapists to avoid the term "angry" temporarily?

Answer: SDs

A discriminative stimulus (SD) is a stimulus that signals the availability of reinforcement for a particular response. In this scenario, the word 'angry' acts as an SD that prompts the child's yelling behavior. By instructing therapists to avoid using this specific term, the BCBA is directly manipulating the antecedent stimulus that cues the problem behavior, thus manipulating the SD.

What does a behavior plan NOT include?

Answer: How the child feels when the behavior is occurring.

A behavior plan focuses on observable and measurable behaviors, their environmental antecedents, and consequences, along with specific interventions. While a child's feelings might influence behavior, they are internal states that are not directly observable or measurable in the same objective way as behavior itself. Therefore, a behavior plan does not typically include subjective statements about how a child 'feels'.

How long should you ideally be under the direction of a BCBA or BCaBA?

Answer: 5% of all time

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) mandates that Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) receive ongoing supervision for a minimum of 5% of the hours they spend providing applied behavior analysis services each month. This requirement ensures RBTs receive consistent guidance, training, and oversight from a qualified BCBA or BCaBA to maintain ethical and effective practice.

Clients' ____ must be supported by behavior analysts.

Answer: Legal Rights

Behavior analysts, including RBTs, are ethically obligated to uphold and protect the rights and welfare of their clients. This includes advocating for their legal rights, ensuring dignified treatment, and adhering to all ethical guidelines. Supporting clients' legal rights is a fundamental aspect of professional and ethical conduct in ABA.

Which of the following may represent an approximate client request for a toy?

Answer: The student makes a “T” sound.

A mand is a verbal operant that is a request, evoked by a motivating operation (e.g., wanting a toy) and reinforced by receiving the specific item requested. While grabbing a toy is getting the toy, it's not a verbal request. Making a 'T' sound could be an approximation of the word 'toy' or a sound consistently used to request a toy, representing an early or developing form of a verbal request (mand).