Exam Objectives ABA 1 2015
Exam #1
Session #1 (Updated 8/24/2015)
1. Discuss the 7 characteristics of ABA.
2. Discuss the 6 characteristics and assumptions of science.
3. What is the difference between ABA and EAB? Give examples that illustrate the
difference.
4. What are some characteristics of EAB?
5. Give an example of a hypothetical construct (e.g., low self esteem, ego, id), and
why they have no place in science (hint: do they have any practical value).
6. Give an overall explanation of the 4 domains discussed at the end of the chapter.
7. What is a functional relation? (see the book)
8. What are the 3 purposes of science?
9. What is a correlation? Causation? (see the book and notes)
10. What is behaviorism? What are the 3 causes of behavior?
11. What is the difference between radical and methodological behaviorism?
12. Given an experiment, identify the independent and dependent variables.
13. What is a principle of behavior? (See book) Give some examples. (e.g., positive
reinforcement, negative reinforcement, etc)
14. Be able to talk about some inadequate explanations of behavior. Include the
nominal fallacy, reification, teleology, and explanatory fictions.
Session #2 (Updated 8/9/2015)
1. What is behavior? Give an example of the 3 properties.
2. Give an example of a topographical response class. Give one of a functional
response class (i.e., an operant).
3. What is a repertoire?
4. What is a stimulus? What are the 3 kinds of receptors?
5. Give an example of each one of the kinds of stimulus classes (based on form,
temporal locus, function).
6. What is respondent conditioning? Be able to diagram it as I did in class with a
real-life example.
7. Diagram each of the 4 kinds of respondent conditioning procedures. Which
works the best?
8. Give an example of respondent extinction.
9. What is higher order conditioning? (see page 30)
10. Be able to draw the 4 cell grid that shows the 2 kinds of reinforcement and
punishment. Be able to describe both the operational and functional definition.
11. What is operant extinction (procedure and effect). Give a real-life example.
12. What is the deal with immediacy of reinforcement (i.e., what is the relation
between delay and reinforcer efficacy?)? What is an example of reinforcers
strengthening classes of behavior, not just a single response? (page 34)
13. What is automaticity of the reinforcement effect?
14. Give an example of conditioned and unconditioned reinforcers.
15. Give an example of a contingency. (see book – the discussion is a little complex –
but contingency can refer to two kinds of relations. First, there may be a
dependency between a behavior and consequence. For example, when a child
asks for food, he/she frequently receives it. In a sense the behavior produces the
consequence. Second, contingency may refer to a temporal contiguity. For
example, a kid may be crying, and a parent may arrive home during the crying.
This may reinforce the crying, but the crying did not actually produce the arrival
of the parent. (Contingency may also refer to the same kinds of relations between
stimuli, as in respondent conditioning.) By and large, we use contingency to refer
to a dependency.
16. What is the difference between a behavior change tactic and a principle of
behavior?
Session #3 (Updated 8/9/2015)
1. What are the two main kinds of behavioral assessment?
2. What are some assessment techniques that you might use? (e.g., direct
observation, interviews, etc)
3. What is reactivity?
4. What is ABC recording?
5. What is habilitation?
6. Give an example of a foundational skill.
7. What is a behavioral cusp? Give an example.
8. What is a pivotal skill? Give an example.
9. Give an example of the following concepts:
a. Age appropriate target skill selection
b. Normalization
c. Constructional approach
10. Be able to talk about some of the elements of whether or not a target behavior has
social significance (Figure 3.4)
11. Be able to discuss a few target priorities (see Figure 3.5)
12. Give an example of a function-based (outcome-based) definition, and a
topography-based definition.
13. Be able to write a behavioral definition that is clear, concise, and complete.
14. Be able to do the following:
a. Know the measures (rate, count, duration, latency, IRT) and how they
might be applied in a particular situation.
b. Recognize examples of the measures.
c. Give examples of these measures.
15. Give examples of the derived measures (e.g., % correct, trials to criterion)
16. Setup a measurement system that involves the following. Also, know the bias of
each.
a. PIR
b. WIR
c. MTS
17. Give an example of a magnitude measure.
18. What is a permanent product measure? An advantage and disadvantage of the
measure?
19. One of the important concepts in behavior analysis is that a given form of
behavior (e.g., crying) can have many functions (e.g., crying for attention, crying
for food, crying for drinks). Give an example of this.
20. A second concept is that a given variable can have multiple effects. As an
example, food deliveries can reinforce behavior they follow, and they can elicit
salivation. Be able to give your own example.
Exam #2
Session #5 (updated 9/18/2015)
1. Explain the concepts of validity, reliability, and accuracy. Be able to give some
examples.
2. Given some data, be able to compute the reliability index.
3. What is a measurement artifact? What are some possible sources? Explain each
of these.
4. What is a “true value?”
5. What is calibration?
6. Given some interval/time sampling data, design an IOA procedure.
7. Given some rate/duration/latency data, design an IOA procedure. Note that there
will be more than 1 kind of IOA (e.g., total count vs mean count per interval vs
exact count), so be prepared to give a couple of methods.
8. Given some discrete trial data, compute trial-by-trial agreement.
9. What are the two general methods of behavioral assessment?
10. Design a scatterplot. (see book)
11. Describe the 5 analogue FA conditions.
12. Give an example of a pairwise FA. hint: choose one of the test conditions from
#11 (Attention, demand, tangible) and then a “control” condition where the
consequence is given non-contingently.
13. Be able to give an example of ABC recording.
14. Be able to graph data from a functional analysis.
15. What is a “function” of behavior? Give some examples.
16. Explain what it means when a measure is “sensitive.” (see cold probes vs 10 trial
data)
17. When scheduling measurement activities, when should they occur? (hint: when
the behavior is most, or least, likely to occur). Give an example.
18. Look at some of the examples of FA in book. Note how they programmed for the
problem behavior. One issue is to teach a replacement skill. Thus, for attentionmaintained behavior, one might teach asking for attention, or waiting for
attention. For tangible-maintained, asking and waiting might be taught. For task
escape, we might teach asking for breaks, and perhaps task completion. Be able
to develop these replacements, given some FA data.
Session #6 (Updated 10/9/2015)
1. What are some reasons for using graphs?
2. Given some data, be able to draw a graph and plot the data. Consider the kinds of
graphs below.
a. Graph with a single behavior and different conditions
b. Graph with 2 behaviors
c. Graph with dual axes
d. Cumulative graph
e. Bar graphs (note what is on the x axis)
3. What are the 3 characteristics of graphed data? Given a graph, be able to analyze
it using these characteristics.
4. Given some graphed data, use the split middle method, or the freehand method, of
drawing the trend line.
5. What is a semi-log graph (or standard chart)? What is an advantage of this kind
of graph?
6. Be able to construct a scatterplot.
Session #7 (Updated 10/9/2015)
1. Define positive and negative reinforcement (using the bipartite definition –
procedure and effect). Be able to give an example of each.
2. What is the difference between escape and avoidance . Give an example of
each.
3. What is an EO? (include the 2 effects) Hint:
a. EO
i. Increase the value of a reinforcer
ii. Evokes behavior that has produced the reinforcer in the past
4. Explain the concept that there is an “automaticity” of reinforcement.
5. Be able to explain the following:
a. Unconditioned reinforcement
b. Conditioned reinforcement
c. Generalized conditioned reinforcement
d. Premack Principle (see book)
6. Explain the following about preference assessments. Be able to give a sample
of the procedure for each, and what measures you might record.
a. Interviews
b. Free operant methods
c. Trial methods
i. Single stimulus
ii. Forced exposure
iii. Multiple stimuli with and without replacement
7. Be able to describe a reinforcer assessment procedure, and draw a graph that
shows hypothetical results. Be able to demonstrate the procedures below:
a. W/D design
b. Reversal
c. Mult FR1 Ext procedure.
d. Concurrent schedule
e. PR schedule
8. In evaluating the reinforcing properties of a stimulus, one of the issues in
withdrawal designs is whether the effect is due to the contingency between the
stimulus and behavior (a reinforcing effect) or just due to the delivery of the
stimulus (as in the example with a caffeinated beverage). Design an
experiment that would disentangle these two variables (recall the discussion
about FT and reversal control conditions).
9. At the end of the negative reinforcement chapter, there is some discussion
about using replacement behaviors that will produce escape (e.g., “Help me”
or “I need a break”), instead of the inappropriate behavior (e.g., tantrums,
aggression). Be prepared to give an example of this kind of procedure.
10. Be able to describe some procedures to make a reinforcer effective and work
the way you want it to.
Exam #3
Session #9 (Updated 11/6/2015)
1. Be able to use and explain the following schedules:
a. Intermittent
b. Ratio (FR and VR)
c. Interval (FI and VI)
d. Time (FT and VT)
e. Duration (FD and VD)
f. PR
g. Conc
h. Mult
i. Mix
j. Chain
k. Tandem
2. What is adjunctive (schedule-induced) behavior? Give some examples.
3. Define extinction (procedure and effect)
4. Explain how to extinguish behavior maintained by:
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Sensory reinforcement
5. What is the difference between extinction and forgetting?
6. What are some extinction side effects?
7. Discuss some procedures that will make extinction work well.
8. Talk about these variables that will affect the rate of extinction:
a. EO
b. Availability of alternative responses
c. Reinforcer magnitude
d. History of extinction
e. Consistency
f. Ext in all relevant environments
9. What is RTE? Note that the term is a way to look at persistence of behavior. The
greater the persistence, the higher degree of RTE. One way to increase RTE is to
use intermittent schedules of reinforcement. RTE after FR 1 is typically very
weak.
Session #10 (Updated 11/6/2015)
1. Describe, implement, and apply the following schedules. Make sure you know
how to determine the time requirement in the DRI and DRO, as well as the
beginning parameters for DRL and DRH.
a. DRA
b. DRI (VDRI, VM, and M)
c. DRO (VDRO, VM- and M)
d. Limited hold
e. DRH (full session and IRT-based)
f. DRL (full session and IRT-based)
2. When using the schedules in #1, what reinforcer should be programmed?
3. What is positive punishment and negative punishment?
4. What is an unconditioned punisher vs a conditioned punisher?
5. What are some factors that will make punishment effective?
6. What are some side effects of punishment?
7. What are some guidelines that you should use to ensure punishment is done
correctly and appropriately?
8. What is LRA?
9. What is the right to treatment? (see the book)
10. What is overcorrection? Include the two kinds.
11. What is contingent effort (e.g., exercise)?
12. Explain the issue of when to deliver a punisher: early vs late in the chain.
13. What is an SDP?
Session #11 (Updated 11/6/2015)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Describe how you would conduct a punishment assessment (see the book).
Be able to draw a graph that demonstrates punishment contrast.
What is timeout? What is it short for?
What are 2 kinds? Give an example of each.
Describe the timeout ribbon procedure (see the book).
What are a couple of advantages and disadvantages of timeout rooms?
What are some elements that will make timeout effective?
What are some guidelines that should be included for safety and minimizing
liability when using timeout?
9. What is response cost?
10. What are a couple of advantages? Disadvantages?
11. What is a bonus response cost?
12. What is a response cost reserve?
13. Know that there are two classes of stimuli involved in antecedent manipulations.
These are SDs and MOs. FT/VT schedules may well function as AOs, and
therefore weaken behavior maintained by the reinforcer. It may also constitute a
form of extinction. Manipulating SDs merely involves removing SDs for problem
behavior, or presenting SDs for appropriate behavior. Give an example of each of
these.
14. Given a scenario, be able to design an FT schedule to decrease problem behavior.
Include the following:
a. The kind of reinforcer
b. Setting the initial time
c. Setting the terminal criterion
d. How to increase the time values
15. What are advantages of FT/VT schedules? Disadvantages?
16. In the typical FT schedule, the reinforcer is not given if problem behavior occurs
at the time that the reinforcer is to be delivered. What kind of schedule is this?
(look at your notes on DRO schedules)
17. What is the problem with the term “non-contingent reinforcement?”
18. Give an example, or demonstrate, the high probability request sequence (or
behavior momentum).
19. Explain what might happen if a behavior momentum is used after inappropriate
behavior? (consider what happens if you provide a high rate of reinforcement
after the HP directions if this is done when a person is having a “refusal” – uh oh).
20. What is a “local” rate of reinforcement?
21. What is a mand – use the “left to right” procedure to describe this verbal operant.
22. Give an example of timeout from negative reinforcement.
Final Objectives (Updated 11/20/2015)
1. Define (include effect on behavior and what these stimuli are correlated with) and
give examples of the following:
a. SD
b. S-delta
c. SDP
2. Given an example, identify the SD and MO.
3. What does it mean if a stimulus has “stimulus control” over a behavior?
4. What is the difference between discrimination vs generalization?
5. How is generalization testing done?
6. What are two kinds of differential reinforcement?
7. What is stimulus equivalence? Set up a teaching procedure using MTS, and
testing of derived relations, that might demonstrate it.
8. What is concept formation? How would you teach a concept?
9. What is generalized imitation? Explain/demonstrate how you might teach
imitation, and how might you test for generalized imitation?
10. How is MTS done?
11. Give an example of masking and overshadowing.
12. What are response prompts? Give some examples.
13. In regards to transferring control from prompts to the natural stimuli, explain the
following:
a. MTL
b. LTM
c. Time delay
14. Give an example of stimulus prompt fading.
15. What are simultaneous prompts vs delayed prompts? If a person’s behavior is
reinforced by prompts, which of the two should be avoided?
16. Be able to draw graphs (with the appropriate labels) that show behavior contrast,
as well as punishment contrast.
17. What is shaping? What are the 2 key components?
18. What is the difference between shaping across response classes
(topographical/qualitative shaping) and within classes (quantitative shaping)?
19. Given a scenario, describe how you might use shaping to teach a new behavior.
20. What is a chain of behavior? Homogeneous vs heterogeneous chains?
21. What is the dual function of stimuli in a chain?
22. Given a scenario, develop a TA and describe how you would teach the skill using:
a. Forward chaining
b. Backward chaining
c. Total task training
d. Linking
23. What is timeout?
24. What are some elements that will make timeout effective?
25. What is response cost?
26. What two classes of stimuli are involved in antecedent manipulations?
27. Give an example, or demonstrate, the high probability request sequence.
28. Describe and be able to apply the following schedules:
a. DRA
b. DRI (VDRI, VM, and FM)
c. DRO (VDRO, VM- and FM)
d. DRL (full session, spaced responding)
29. What are some factors that will make punishment effective?
30. What are some side effects of punishment?
31. What is overcorrection? Include the two kinds.
32. Be able to use and explain the following schedules
a. Intermittent
b. Time schedules (FT and VT)
c. Ratios (FR and VR)
d. Intervals (FI and VI)
e. Duration (FD and VD)
f. Limited hold
g. DRH
h. DRL
i. PR
j. Conc
k. Mult
l. Mix
m. Chain
n. Tandem
33. Define extinction (procedure and effect)
34. Explain how to extinguish behavior maintained by:
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Sensory reinforcement
35. What are some extinction side effects?
36. What is resistance to extinction? Discuss some variables that influence RTE.
37. Define positive and negative reinforcement. Be able to give an example of each.
38. What is the difference between escape and avoidance. Give an example of each.
39. What is an MO? (include the 2 effects and whether it is an EO or AO)
40. Be able to explain the following:
a. Unconditioned reinforcement
b. Conditioned reinforcement
c. Generalized conditioned reinforcement
d. Premack Principle
41. Explain the following about preference assessments. Be able to graph results of a
preference assessment
a. Interviews
b. Free operant methods
c. Trial methods
i. Single stimulus
ii. Forced exposure
iii. Multiple stimuli
42. Be able to describe reinforcer assessment procedures including withdrawal
designs, concurrent schedules, progressive ratios, and multiple schedules.
43. Given some data, be able to draw a graph and plot the data. Consider the kinds of
graphs below.
a. Graph with a single behavior and different conditions
b. Graph with 2 behaviors
c. Cumulative graph
44. What are the 3 characteristics of graphed data? Given a graph, be able to analyze
it using these characteristics.
45. Given some graphed data, use the split middle method, or the freehand method, of
drawing the trend line.
46. Explain the concepts of validity, reliability, and accuracy.
47. Given some interval/time sampling data, design an IOA procedure.
48. Given some rate/duration/latency data, design an IOA procedure. Note that there
will be more than 1 kind of IOA, so be prepared to give a couple of methods.
49. What are the two general methods of behavioral assessment?
50. Describe the 5 analogue FA conditions first described by Iwata and colleagues.
51. The book discusses a 4 step procedure in assessment and designing a Tx. These
are 1) gather information 2) develop a hypothesis 3) conduct FA and 4) design a
Tx. Given a case, be able to work through these steps.
52. What is reactivity?
53. What is ABC recording?
54. Be able to describe and use the following measures: rate, duration, latency, IRT.
55. Give an example of the following concepts:
a. Age appropriate
b. Normalization
c. Constructional approach
i. What kind of measurement would you attempt if the goal is not a
behavior (e.g., decrease blood pressure readings).
56. Setup a measurement system that involves the following:
a. PIR
b. WIR
c. MTS
57. Give an example of a permanent product measure and a magnitude measure.
58. What is behavior? Give an example of the 3 properties.
59. Give an example of a topographical response class. Give one of a functional
response class (i.e., an operant).
60. What is respondent conditioning? Be able to diagram it as I did in class with a
real-life example.
61. Give an example of respondent extinction.
62. What are the 4 terms in operant conditioning?
63. One of the important concepts in behavior analysis is that a given form of
behavior (e.g., crying) can have many functions. Give an example of this.
64. A second concept is that a given variable can have multiple effects. As an
example, food deliveries can reinforce behavior they follow, and they can elicit
salivation. Be able to give your own example.
65. Discuss the 7 characteristics of ABA
66. Discuss the 6 characteristics and assumptions of science.
67. What is a functional relation?
68. What is behaviorism? What are the 3 causes of behavior?
69. What is response differentiation?
70. How can you use extinction (the side effects) to your advantage in shaping?
71. What are the 3 ways of taking BL before starting a chaining procedure?
72. What are the 3 kinds of social validity?
73. What are 3 ways of socially validating a task analysis (or the goals)?
74. Explain the two methods of errorless training. Given an example, be able to use
one of the errorless procedures.
75. Given some data from a forward/backward chaining procedure, be able to graph
the data.