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BACB BCABA Sample Question Answers
Question # 1
Reinforcing "picking up shoe" in a shoe-tying program would be an example of a step in
which type of training procedure?
A. chaining B. discrete trial C. naturalistic D. shaping
Answer: A Explanation: Chaining is a teaching procedure used to teach a sequence of
discrete behaviors (a behavior chain) that are linked
together, where the completion of each step serves as both the
SD for the next step and often as a
conditioned reinforcer for the step just completed, ultimately
building toward a complex terminal behavior. Shoe-tying is a classic
example used in ABA training materials specifically because it
is a multi-step behavior chain that lends itself well to task
analysis and chaining procedures.
"Picking up the shoe"
is simply one discrete step within the larger task analysis
of shoe-tying (which might include: pick up shoe ? hold shoe ?
find laces ? cross laces ? make a loop ? wrap around ? pull
through ? tighten, etc.).
Reinforcing this individual
step (picking up the shoe) as part of teaching the overall
shoe-tying sequence is a hallmark example of a chaining procedure
— where each individual step in a task analysis is taught and
reinforced (whether through forward chaining, backward chaining, or
total task presentation) to build the complete behavior chain.
Why the other options are wrong:
B. Discrete trial.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT) is a specific instructional format
characterized by a clear, structured trial with a discriminative
stimulus, response, consequence, and inter-trial interval —
typically used to teach single, discrete skills (like matching,
labeling, or simple discriminations) rather than a sequential,
multi-step behavior chain like shoe-tying. While DTT could
theoretically be used to teach one step of the chain, the concept
being tested here — reinforcing individual steps that build toward
a complete sequential task — is specifically chaining, not DTT as
a category.
C. Naturalistic.
Naturalistic teaching strategies (like incidental teaching) rely on
the natural environment, learner-initiated interest, and natural
reinforcers, occurring in real-world contexts rather than in
structured or task-analyzed step-by-step training. Shoe-tying
instruction as described here (breaking down and reinforcing
individual steps like "picking up shoe") reflects a more
structured, task-analysis-based approach, which is chaining, not
naturalistic teaching.
D. Shaping. Shaping
involves reinforcing successive approximations toward a single
target behavior/topography — gradually reinforcing closer and
closer approximations of the same response until the final
form is achieved (e.g., gradually reinforcing closer approximations
of a correct pencil grip). Shoe-tying, however, is not a single
behavior gradually refined in form — it's a sequence of many
distinct, separate steps/responses linked together, which is the
defining feature of chaining, not shaping. The key distinction: shaping = refining one response over time;
chaining = linking together many different responses in
sequence.
Question # 2
A behavior analyst for a local group home has a case involving a person who engages in
spitting. First, the behavior analyst conducts a functional assessment and takes a week of
baseline data. An intervention is designed and tested for two weeks. The behavior analyst
then implements a brief return to baseline, followed by a return to the intervention. This
process is primarily an example of which fundamental characteristic of behavior analysis?
A. technological B. empiricism C. philosophic doubt D. parsimony
Answer: B Explanation: Empiricism is one of the fundamental philosophical
underpinnings of behavior analysis (along with determinism,
experimentation, replication, parsimony, and philosophic doubt).
Empiricism refers to the reliance on direct, objective observation
and measurement of behavior as the
basis for making decisions, evaluating interventions, and drawing
conclusions — rather than relying on subjective judgment,
intuition, or untested assumptions.
In this scenario, the behavior
analyst systematically collects objective data at every
stage: baseline data before intervention, data during the two-week
intervention, data during a brief return to baseline, and data again
during the return to intervention. Every decision (whether the
intervention is working, whether to continue it, whether to make
changes) is based directly on what the data show, not on
subjective impressions or anecdotal reports.
This process of repeatedly and
objectively measuring behavior across all phases
(baseline-intervention-baseline-intervention, essentially a
reversal/ABAB design) exemplifies empiricism because the
practitioner is relying entirely on direct observation and objective
data to evaluate the effects of the intervention — the hallmark of
an empirical approach.
Why the other options are wrong:
A. Technological. This
dimension (from Baer, Wolf, & Risley's seven dimensions of ABA)
refers to procedures being described with such precision and
clarity that another trained person could read the description
and replicate the procedures exactly as intended. This scenario
doesn't focus on the clarity/precision of written procedures
— it focuses on the process of data collection and phase
changes to evaluate effects, which is more about empiricism than
technological precision.
C. Philosophic doubt.
Philosophic doubt refers to the practice of continually
questioning and testing established assumptions/"truths,"
rather than accepting conventional wisdom or explanations at face
value — essentially, always being willing to test whether commonly
accepted practices are actually correct/effective, rather than
assuming they are. While the behavior analyst is testing the effects
of an intervention, the scenario is more specifically about direct
data-based evaluation (empiricism) rather than about doubting or
challenging an established assumption/convention.
D. Parsimony. Parsimony
refers to the principle of using the simplest, most
straightforward explanation for a behavior before turning to
more complex explanations. This scenario doesn't involve
interpreting/explaining why the behavior occurs in a simple
versus complex way — it involves a systematic data collection
process across baseline and treatment phases, which centers on
empiricism, not parsimony.
Question # 3
A behavior analyst has taught a student to look at the teacher when the teacher is
speaking. Later, the student is observed looking at a classmate when the classmate is
speaking. The student looking at the classmate is a result oF.
A. discrimination training. B. response maintenance. C. stimulus generalization. D. response generalization.
Answer: C
Question # 4
A 4-year-old child is lying in bed at night while the parents are sitting in the living room
talking to guests. The child begins to make loud noises. In the past, the parents have gone
into the child's room to quiet him. The parents and guests agree to ignore the child
completely and continue to talk. If the parents stick with this approach and the child stops
making noises, the parents have successfully useD.
A. time-out. B. planned ignoring. C. extinction. D. negative reinforcement.
Answer: C
Question # 5
Which action would MOST likely increase the effectiveness of a punishment procedure?
A. Clearly explain the punishment consequences to the person whose behavior is targeted for reduction. B. Eliminate the reinforcement contingency maintaining the target behavior. C. Ensure that the punisher fits the target behavior. D. Progressively increase the intensity of the punisher.
Answer: B
Question # 6
By definition, a data recording system is valid if it:
A. consistently measures the behavior. B. has demonstrated social validity. C. has high interobserver agreement. D. measures what it is supposed to.
Answer: D
Question # 7
Which is NOT a necessary component of a token economy system?
A. backup reinforcers B. exchange procedures C. generalized conditioned reinforcers D. response cost procedures
Answer: D Explanation: A token economy is a system of behavior change based on
conditioned reinforcement, in which individuals earn tokens (a
form of generalized conditioned reinforcer) for engaging in target
behaviors, and these tokens can later be exchanged for backup
reinforcers. The essential, defining components of any token
economy are:
Tokens themselves
(generalized conditioned reinforcers) — a stimulus (points, chips,
stars, etc.) that is initially neutral but becomes reinforcing
through being paired with a variety of backup reinforcers.
Backup reinforcers —
the actual items, activities, or privileges that tokens can be
exchanged for, which give the tokens their reinforcing value in the
first place.
Exchange procedures/rules
— clear rules specifying how tokens are earned (which behaviors
earn tokens, how many) and how/when they can be exchanged for backup
reinforcers.
Response cost — the removal
of tokens/reinforcers contingent on an undesired behavior (a form of
negative punishment) — is a commonly added feature in
many token economies to address problem behavior, but it is not a
required/necessary component for a system to qualify as a token
economy. A token economy can function perfectly well using only
reinforcement (earning tokens for desired behavior) without
incorporating any token removal/response cost procedures at all.Why the other options are wrong
(i.e., they ARE necessary components):
A. Backup reinforcers.
Without backup reinforcers, tokens would have no reinforcing value
at all — tokens only function as reinforcers because they can be
exchanged for genuinely valued items/activities/privileges. This is
essential to the entire system working.
B. Exchange procedures.
There must be clearly specified rules for how tokens are
earned and how/when they can be traded in for backup
reinforcers. Without a defined exchange system, the token economy
wouldn't function as an organized behavior-change system.
C. Generalized conditioned
reinforcers. This refers to the tokens themselves — they are
called "generalized" conditioned reinforcers because
they've been paired with multiple backup reinforcers, making
them effective across a variety of motivational states (unlike a
single-item conditioned reinforcer, which might lose value if that
specific item is no longer wanted). This generalized value is
central to why tokens are so effective and is a defining component
of the system.
Question # 8
When using time out in a classroom, which of the following should be considered?
A. Escape behavior could be punished. B. Positive reinforcement for the teacher is likely to contribute to increased duration of time out. C. The technique is easily abused and needs to be monitored and supervised carefully. D. For children who are relatively non-disruptive and for innocuous behavior time out is optimal.
Answer: A Explanation: This question is testing careful, conservative interpretation of
behavioral data — specifically, the difference between what we can
definitively conclude from a single observation versus what
would require additional information to confirm. The word
"ONLY" in the question is the critical clue here.
All we know is that the
father's arrival happens before LeRoy's room-cleaning
behavior. By definition, any event or stimulus that occurs before
a behavior is, at minimum, an antecedent — this is the most
basic, safest, and most defensible conclusion we can draw from the
information given.
To label the father's
arrival as anything more specific (like an SD,
an EO, or a prompt), we would need additional information
about the function of that antecedent — specifically,
whether it reliably signals the availability of reinforcement,
whether it establishes a motivating state, or whether it's
specifically designed to cue a correct response. Since none of that
information is provided, we can't go beyond simply calling it an
antecedent.
Why the other options are wrong
(i.e., they require more information than we have):
B. A discriminative stimulus
(SD). To call the father's arrival an
SD, we would need to know that this stimulus
has a learning history of being reliably associated with
reinforcement for room-cleaning specifically in its presence (and
not in its absence). We don't have any information confirming a
reinforcement history — we only have one instance of the behavior
following the antecedent.
C. An establishing operation
(EO). An EO is a specific type of motivating operation that
momentarily increases the value of a reinforcer and evokes
behavior that has led to that reinforcer in the past (e.g., father's
arrival might increase the value of his approval, evoking
room-cleaning to obtain it). While this is plausible, we don't have
enough information to confirm that the father's arrival is altering
reinforcer value in this way — it's a hypothesis, not a confirmed
conclusion based on the data given.
D. A visual prompt. A
prompt is a supplementary stimulus specifically added/used to
increase the likelihood of a correct response during teaching,
usually within a structured instructional context. There's no
indication that the father's arrival is being used as an
intentional, supplementary teaching prompt — this would require a
specific teaching context and intent that isn't described here.
Question # 9
When LeRoy sees his father arrive home, he begins to clean his room. Given this
information, we can conclude ONLY that the father's arrival is:
A. an antecedent. B. a discriminative stimulus. C. an establishing operation. D. a visual prompt.
Answer: A
Question # 10
Self-management strategies are:
A. applying behavior analysis principles to change one's own behavior. B. a method for capitalizing on an individual's will power. C. primarily used for extinguishing one's own undesirable behaviors. D. based on personalized systems of instruction.
