BCBA 5th Edition Exam 2023-2024
Goal of ABA as a science - ANSWER Description, Prediction, Control
Description - ANSWER Lowest level, describing what happened that is
observable. Ex. repeated movements of the hand up and down for more than 5
seconds.
Prediction - ANSWER predicting what will happen in something in the
environment changes. Repeated observations that show these events correlate
with each other (no causal relation). One of your main jobs, you need to be a good
predictor of behavior.
Control - ANSWER Highest level of understanding. When we have control, we
know for a fact what stimuli are controlling our behavior. We have now
demonstrated a functional relationship. Ex. you know if you add pepper to your
fries, your bf wont eat them, even though he always does. So you change the DV
(pepper) and the IV (BF eating fries) changes.
5 Philosophical Assumptions underlying the science of behavior. - ANSWER
Determinism, Empiricism, Pragmatism, Parsimony, Selectionism
Determinism - ANSWER -Upon what Science is based
The universe is lawful and orderly, nothing happens by accident, there is always an
explanation. You can always explain why something happened.
Empiricism - ANSWER -Upon what Knowledge is built.
Objective observation of events based on data. We make decisions based on data.
Ex. we don't say " I think the behavior happens in 5 minutes." We take out a
stopwatch and time it exactly. We need to use empirically based interventions.
Parsimony - ANSWER The simplest and most logical explanation should be
considered first.
Ex. if your mom doesn't call you back that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. Rule
out the simple explanations first.
Pragmatism - ANSWER Analyze outcomes based on results. Outcomes need to
serve a purpose and improve the lives of our clients. They need to be data based
,and individualized.
Selectionism - ANSWER Behaviors are selected (keep or get rid of them) based
on environmental factors. Does it benefit me? Or not?
Phylogenetic - ANSWER behaviors that help your survival you will want to keep
Ontogenetic - ANSWER Selection due to interaction with the environment (what
we do). We manipulate the environment to increase or decrease behaviors.
Cultural: we learn from our parents, etc.
Methodological Behaviorism - ANSWER A philosophical position that views
behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.
-Came before radical and did not acknowledge private (Covert) events
Radical Behaviorism - ANSWER A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that
attempts to understand all human behavior, including private events such as
thoughts and feelings, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person
(ontogeny) and the species (phylogeny).
-Skinner
4 Branches of Behaviorism - ANSWER -Behaviorism
-Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)
-Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
-Professional Practice Guided by the Science of Behavior Analysis
Behaviorism - ANSWER -Conceptual Analysis of behavior. The umbrella.
-Guiding philosophy of behavior science.
-Says there is an explanation of behavior based on everyday interactions with our
environment.
Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) - ANSWER Studying behavior principles
that are not applied. You might work with rats or in a lab. Examining these
principles in an experimental setting, but not applying it.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - ANSWER We are taking principles from EAB
,and researching the effects on human subjects. (what we are doing on clients).
Professional Practice Guided by the Science of Behavior Analysis - ANSWER
-What technicians do.
-Directly implementing interventions. The result of data, experiments, etc. The
actual interventions we are using in the real world.
7 Dimensions of ABA - ANSWER BATCAGE
-Behavioral: Behavior must be observable & measurable
-Applied: Changes are positive & socially significant
-Technological: Can be replicated and understood
-Conceptually Systematic: Consists with ABA principles
-Analytic: Functional relationship is established
-Generalizable: Applied to diff. places, people, things
-Effective: We actually taught something
Behavior - ANSWER Anything an organism does. Actions that change the
environment in some way.
Ex. talking, eating, writing, etc. Dead man test (if a dead man can do it, it's not a
behavior)
Response - ANSWER Single instance of behavior
Response Class - ANSWER A bunch of responses that all serve the same function.
A group or set of instances of behavior that serve the same function.
Ex. You can write 4, show me 4, or say 4
Stimulus - ANSWER A change in the environment that evokes a functional
reaction. A stimulus leads to a response.
Ex. Class is talking loudly. The teacher walks in (stimulus). The class quiets
(response)
Stimulus Class ( and 3 forms) - ANSWER Similar to response class, except we are
going by similar characteristics.
3 different types...
, -Form: All look like (ex. Blue items)
-Functional: Have the same effect on behavior
-Temporal: stimuli that occurs in relation to behavior. Consequences that follow a
behavior. What happens before a behavior.
Respondent Conditioning - ANSWER -An unlearned response that occurs
naturally in reaction to the unconditioned stimulus.
-Pavlov
-Ex. unconditioned response (salivate). We can take a neutral stimulus (bell) and
pair it with the unconditioned stimulus (snack) then the bell becomes a
conditioned stimulus and salivating becomes a conditioned response.
Operant Conditioning - ANSWER -We deal in operant conditioning. Evokes a
response.
-Taking a simple stimulus response contingency and adding consequences.
(reinforce or punish)
-Consequences affect the future probability of a behavior occurring or not
occurring.
-Skinner
Positive Reinforcement - ANSWER A stimulus presented after a response that
increases that response in the future.
Negative Reinforcement - ANSWER A stimulus presented after a response that
increases that response in the future.
4-Simple Schedules of Reinforcement - ANSWER Fixed-Ratio (FR): R+ after a set
number of responses
Fixed-Interval (FI): R+ after a set amount of time
Variable-Ratio (VR): R+ after a variable number of responses
Variable-Interval (VI): R+ after a variable amount of time
7 Complex Schedules of Reinforcement - ANSWER CMCMTAC
Multiple
Goal of ABA as a science - ANSWER Description, Prediction, Control
Description - ANSWER Lowest level, describing what happened that is
observable. Ex. repeated movements of the hand up and down for more than 5
seconds.
Prediction - ANSWER predicting what will happen in something in the
environment changes. Repeated observations that show these events correlate
with each other (no causal relation). One of your main jobs, you need to be a good
predictor of behavior.
Control - ANSWER Highest level of understanding. When we have control, we
know for a fact what stimuli are controlling our behavior. We have now
demonstrated a functional relationship. Ex. you know if you add pepper to your
fries, your bf wont eat them, even though he always does. So you change the DV
(pepper) and the IV (BF eating fries) changes.
5 Philosophical Assumptions underlying the science of behavior. - ANSWER
Determinism, Empiricism, Pragmatism, Parsimony, Selectionism
Determinism - ANSWER -Upon what Science is based
The universe is lawful and orderly, nothing happens by accident, there is always an
explanation. You can always explain why something happened.
Empiricism - ANSWER -Upon what Knowledge is built.
Objective observation of events based on data. We make decisions based on data.
Ex. we don't say " I think the behavior happens in 5 minutes." We take out a
stopwatch and time it exactly. We need to use empirically based interventions.
Parsimony - ANSWER The simplest and most logical explanation should be
considered first.
Ex. if your mom doesn't call you back that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. Rule
out the simple explanations first.
Pragmatism - ANSWER Analyze outcomes based on results. Outcomes need to
serve a purpose and improve the lives of our clients. They need to be data based
,and individualized.
Selectionism - ANSWER Behaviors are selected (keep or get rid of them) based
on environmental factors. Does it benefit me? Or not?
Phylogenetic - ANSWER behaviors that help your survival you will want to keep
Ontogenetic - ANSWER Selection due to interaction with the environment (what
we do). We manipulate the environment to increase or decrease behaviors.
Cultural: we learn from our parents, etc.
Methodological Behaviorism - ANSWER A philosophical position that views
behavioral events that cannot be publicly observed as outside the realm of science.
-Came before radical and did not acknowledge private (Covert) events
Radical Behaviorism - ANSWER A thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that
attempts to understand all human behavior, including private events such as
thoughts and feelings, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person
(ontogeny) and the species (phylogeny).
-Skinner
4 Branches of Behaviorism - ANSWER -Behaviorism
-Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)
-Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
-Professional Practice Guided by the Science of Behavior Analysis
Behaviorism - ANSWER -Conceptual Analysis of behavior. The umbrella.
-Guiding philosophy of behavior science.
-Says there is an explanation of behavior based on everyday interactions with our
environment.
Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) - ANSWER Studying behavior principles
that are not applied. You might work with rats or in a lab. Examining these
principles in an experimental setting, but not applying it.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - ANSWER We are taking principles from EAB
,and researching the effects on human subjects. (what we are doing on clients).
Professional Practice Guided by the Science of Behavior Analysis - ANSWER
-What technicians do.
-Directly implementing interventions. The result of data, experiments, etc. The
actual interventions we are using in the real world.
7 Dimensions of ABA - ANSWER BATCAGE
-Behavioral: Behavior must be observable & measurable
-Applied: Changes are positive & socially significant
-Technological: Can be replicated and understood
-Conceptually Systematic: Consists with ABA principles
-Analytic: Functional relationship is established
-Generalizable: Applied to diff. places, people, things
-Effective: We actually taught something
Behavior - ANSWER Anything an organism does. Actions that change the
environment in some way.
Ex. talking, eating, writing, etc. Dead man test (if a dead man can do it, it's not a
behavior)
Response - ANSWER Single instance of behavior
Response Class - ANSWER A bunch of responses that all serve the same function.
A group or set of instances of behavior that serve the same function.
Ex. You can write 4, show me 4, or say 4
Stimulus - ANSWER A change in the environment that evokes a functional
reaction. A stimulus leads to a response.
Ex. Class is talking loudly. The teacher walks in (stimulus). The class quiets
(response)
Stimulus Class ( and 3 forms) - ANSWER Similar to response class, except we are
going by similar characteristics.
3 different types...
, -Form: All look like (ex. Blue items)
-Functional: Have the same effect on behavior
-Temporal: stimuli that occurs in relation to behavior. Consequences that follow a
behavior. What happens before a behavior.
Respondent Conditioning - ANSWER -An unlearned response that occurs
naturally in reaction to the unconditioned stimulus.
-Pavlov
-Ex. unconditioned response (salivate). We can take a neutral stimulus (bell) and
pair it with the unconditioned stimulus (snack) then the bell becomes a
conditioned stimulus and salivating becomes a conditioned response.
Operant Conditioning - ANSWER -We deal in operant conditioning. Evokes a
response.
-Taking a simple stimulus response contingency and adding consequences.
(reinforce or punish)
-Consequences affect the future probability of a behavior occurring or not
occurring.
-Skinner
Positive Reinforcement - ANSWER A stimulus presented after a response that
increases that response in the future.
Negative Reinforcement - ANSWER A stimulus presented after a response that
increases that response in the future.
4-Simple Schedules of Reinforcement - ANSWER Fixed-Ratio (FR): R+ after a set
number of responses
Fixed-Interval (FI): R+ after a set amount of time
Variable-Ratio (VR): R+ after a variable number of responses
Variable-Interval (VI): R+ after a variable amount of time
7 Complex Schedules of Reinforcement - ANSWER CMCMTAC
Multiple
