Exam Objectives ABA 1 2010
Exam #1
Session #1
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. Give an example of a hypothetical construct, and why they have no place in
science.
5. Give an overall explanation of the 4 domains discussed at the end of the chapter.
6. What is a functional relation? (see the book)
7. What are the 3 purposes of science?
8. What is a correlation? Causation? (see the book and notes)
9. What is behaviorism? What are the 3 causes of behavior?
10. What is the difference between radical and methodological behaviorism?
11. Given an experiment, identify the independent and dependent variables.
12. Given some correct and incorrect data, be able to compute the rate correct and
rate incorrect.
13. What is a principle of behavior? Give some examples.
14. Be able to talk about some inadequate explanations of behavior. Include the
nominal fallacy, reification, teleology, and explanatory fictions.
Session #2
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.
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. What are the 4 terms in operant conditioning?
11. Be able to draw the 4 cell grid that shows the 2 kinds of reinforcement and
punishment.
12. What is extinction (procedure and effect). Give a real-life example.
13. What is the deal with immediacy of reinforcement? What is an example of
reinforcers strengthening classes of behavior, not just a single response? (page 34)
14. What is automaticity of the reinforcement effect?
15. Give an example of conditioned and unconditioned reinforcers.
16. 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.)
17. What is the difference between a behavior change tactic and a principle of
behavior?
18. 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.
19. 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.
Session #3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Two kinds of behavior assessment?
What is the goal of behavioral assessment? What are some of the procedures?
What is reactivity?
What is ABC recording?
What is habilitation?
Give an example of a foundational skill.
What is a behavioral cusp? Give an example.
Give an example of the following concepts:
a. Age appropriate
b. Normalization
c. Constructional approach
9. Be able to talk about some of the elements of whether or not a target behavior has
social significance (Figure 3.4)
10. Be able to discuss a few target priorities (see Figure 3.5)
11. Give an example of a function-based definition, and a topography-based
definition.
12. Be able to write a behavioral definition that is clear, concise, and complete.
13. Be able to do the following:
a. Know the measures (rate, count, duration, latency, IRT) that relate to a
given property of behavior
b. Recognize examples of the measures.
c. Give examples of these measures.
14. Give examples of the derived measures (e.g., % correct, trials to criterion)
15. Setup a measurement system that involves the following. Also, know the bias of
each.
a. PIR
b. WIR
c. MTS
16. Give an example of a permanent product measure and a magnitude measure.
17. What is a permanent product measure? An advantage and disadvantage of the
measure?
Exam #2
Session #5
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 are some threats to measurement reliability and accuracy?
6. What is calibration?
7. Given some interval/time sampling data, design an IOA procedure.
8. 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), so
be prepared to give a couple of methods.
9. What are the two general methods of behavioral assessment?
10. Describe the 5 analogue FA conditions.
11. Given some descriptive assessment data, diagram the hypothesized operant using
the 4 elements.
12. Give an example of a scatterplot.
13. Be able to give an example of continuous ABC recording vs narrative ABC
recording.
14. Given a function of problem behavior, be able to identify a replacement skill.
15. Be able to graph the following:
a. ABC data (e.g, using the antecedent class on the x axis)
b. The results of a FAST or MAS
16. Describe an alternating treatments design, and graph data generated from this kind
of design.
Session #6
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
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 meant by function-altering? Apply this to what happens in respondent
and operant conditioning.
6. What is a semi-log graph? What are some advantages to using this kind of graph?
Session #7
1. Define positive and negative reinforcement (using the bipartite definition). 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 MO? (include the 2 effects and whether it is an EO or AO)
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
6. Explain the following about preference assessments. Be able to give a sample
of the procedure for each. 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 with and without replacement
7. Be able to describe reinforcer assessment procedures including withdrawal
designs, reversal designs, concurrent schedules, progressive ratios, and
multiple schedules.
8. In evaluating a 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. Design an experiment that would disentangle these two variables
(recall the discussion about FT 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. Finally, check out the study at the end of the Chapter 12 by Marcus and
Vollmer. The issue in this study is that they allowed escape for saying
“Finished” in one condition. In another condition, escape was only available
after task completion. What were the results (see what happened to task
completion in each condition), and what are the implications for teaching a
person to request breaks?
11. Be able to describe some procedures to make a reinforcer effective and work
the way you want it to.
Exam #3
Session #9
1. Be able to use and explain the following schedules
a. Intermittent
b. Ratios (FR and VR)
c. Intervals (FR and VR)
d. Time (FR and VR)
e. Limited hold
f. DRH
g. DRL
h. PR
i. Conc
j. Mult
k. Mix
l. Chain
m. 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?
10. Design an experiment that would show RTE as a function of the schedule prior to
ext.
Session #10
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. DRH (full session and IRT-based0
b. DRA
c. DRI (VDRI, VM, and M)
d. DRO (VDRO, VM- and M)
e. DRL (full session, spaced responding)
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. What is behavior contrast?
13. Explain the issue of when to deliver a punisher: early vs late in the chain.
14. What is an SDP?
15. Describe how you would conduct a punishment assessment (see the book).
Session #11
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What is punishment contrast? Draw a graph that demonstrates it.
What is timeout? What is it short for?
What are the 2 kinds? Give an example of each.
Describe the timeout ribbon procedure.
What are a couple of advantages and disadvantages of timeout rooms?
What are some elements that will make timeout effective?
What are some procedures that should be included for safety and minimizing
liability when using timeout?
8. What is response cost?
9. What are a couple of advantages? Disadvantages?
10. What is a bonus response cost?
11. What is a response cost reserve?
12. What two classes of stimuli are involved in antecedent manipulations? Note that
there is a 3rd element – response effort. What is the point of this?
13. 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
14. What are advantages of FT/VT schedules? Disadvantages?
15. 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)
16. What is the problem with the term “non-contingent reinforcement?”
17. Give an example, or demonstrate, the high probability request sequence (or
behavior momentum).
18. Explain what might happen if a behavior momentum is used after inappropriate
behavior? (see the book - and 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).
19. Behavior momentum: Design an experiment to show the role of the reinforcer
delivery in behavior momentum.
Final Objectives
1. Define and give examples of the following:
a. SD
b. S-delta
c. SDP
2. Given an example, identify the SD and MO.
3. What is the difference between discrimination vs generalization?
4. How is generalization testing done?
5. What are two kinds of differential reinforcement?
6. What is stimulus equivalence? Set up a teaching procedure, and testing, that
might demonstrate it.
7. What is concept formation? How would you teach a concept?
8. What is generalized imitation? How might you test for it?
9. Be able to design a procedure to teach a concept.
10. How is MTS done?
11. Give an example of masking and overshadowing.
12. What are response prompts? Give some examples.
13. What are stimulus prompts?
14. In regards to transferring control from prompts to the natural stimuli, explain the
following:
a. MTL
b. LTM
c. Time delay
15. Give an example of stimulus prompt fading.
16. What are simultaneous prompts vs delayed prompts?
17. Be able to draw graphs (with the appropriate labels) that show behavior contrast,
as well as punishment contrast.
18. What is shaping? What are the 2 key components?
19. What is the difference between shaping across response classes (topographical
shaping) and within classes (quantitative shaping)?
20. Given a scenario, describe how you might use shaping to teach a new behavior.
21. What is a chain of behavior? Homogeneous vs heterogeneous chains?
22. What is the dual function of stimuli in a chain?
23. What are 3 ways of socially validating a task analysis?
24. 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
25. Given a problem behavior with an identified function, be able to:
a. Describe an antecedent manipulation
b. Identify an acquisition skill with definition, measure, and procedure
c. Identify a reduction target with definition, measure, and procedure
26. What is timeout ?
27. What are some elements that will make timeout effective?
28. What is response cost?
29. What two classes of stimuli are involved in antecedent manipulations?
30. Give an example, or demonstrate, the high probability request sequence (or
behavior momentum).
31. 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)
32. Explain RTE and how it is a function of the kind of schedule in place.
33. What are some factors that will make punishment effective?
34. What are some side effects of punishment?
35. What is overcorrection? Include the two kinds.
36. 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
37. Define extinction (procedure and effect)
38. Explain how to extinguish behavior maintained by:
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Sensory reinforcement
39. What are some extinction side effects?
40. What is resistance to extinction? Discuss some variables that influence RTE.
41. Define positive and negative reinforcement. Be able to give an example of each.
42. What is the difference between escape and avoidance. Give an example of each.
43. What is an MO? (include the 2 effects and whether it is an EO or AO)
44. Be able to explain the following:
a. Unconditioned reinforcement
b. Conditioned reinforcement
c. Generalized conditioned reinforcement
d. Premack Principle
45. 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
46. Be able to describe reinforcer assessment procedures including withdrawal
designs, concurrent schedules, progressive ratios, and multiple schedules.
47. 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
48. What are the 3 characteristics of graphed data? Given a graph, be able to analyze
it using these characteristics.
49. Given some graphed data, use the split middle method, or the freehand method, of
drawing the trend line.
50. Explain the concepts of validity, reliability, and accuracy.
51. Given some interval/time sampling data, design an IOA procedure.
52. 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.
53. What are the two general methods of behavioral assessment?
54. Describe the 5 analogue FA conditions first described by Iwata and colleagues.
55. 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.
56. What is reactivity?
57. What is ABC recording?
58. Be able to describe and use the following measures: rate, duration, latency, IRT.
59. 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).
60. Setup a measurement system that involves the following:
a. PIR
b. WIR
c. MTS
61. Give an example of a permanent product measure and a magnitude measure.
62. What is behavior? Give an example of the 3 properties.
63. Give an example of a topographical response class. Give one of a functional
response class (i.e., an operant).
64. What is respondent conditioning? Be able to diagram it as I did in class with a
real-life example.
65. Give an example of respondent extinction.
66. What are the 4 terms in operant conditioning?
67. 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.
68. 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.
69. Discuss the 7 characteristics of ABA
70. Discuss the 6 characteristics and assumptions of science.
71. Give an example of a hypothetical construct, and why they have no place in
science.
72. What is a functional relation?
73. What is behaviorism? What are the 3 causes of behavior?
74. What is response differentiation?
75. How can you use extinction (the side effects) to your advantage in shaping?
76. What are the 3 ways of taking BL before starting a chaining procedure?
77. What are the 3 kinds of social validity?
78. Explain the two methods of errorless training.
79. Given some data from a forward/backward chaining procedure, be able to graph
the data.