Unit 7 - A

Question 1

An example of continuous measurement would be when a behavior analyst records…

a. Whether or not a target behavior occurs in a given interval
b. How many children in a class are working on math sheets at the moment a timer rings
c. The time between the end of one response and the beginning of the next
d. Whether or not a target behavior occurs during an entire interval

Answer 1

c. The time between the end of one response and the beginning of the next

Question 2

Estimate the IRT given a rate of 30 instances of aggression per hour

a. 5 minutes
b. 2 minutes
c. .5 minutes
d. 1 minute

Answer 2

b. 2 minutes

Question 3

During most of his school day, Michael engages in nearly continuous hand wringing (i.e., rubbing his hands together hard enough to cause skin irritation and sometimes minor abrasions). He takes brief breaks for such activities as prompted work, hygiene activities, and eating. He is in a class with one teacher and 2 other students. Of the following choices, which would be the best type of discontinuous data for the teacher to collect to obtain a baseline on Michael’s handwringing?

a. PLACHECK
b. Whole interval recording
c. Frequency recording
d. Latency recording

Answer 3

b. Whole interval recording

Question 4

Juan is collecting data for his client Jesse. Jesse engages in spitting (which occurs an average of 40 times per day) and scratching (which occurs only once or twice a day). Juan is deciding if he should graph the target on one graph. Juan should…

a. Consider graphing on a single graph with two differently scaled Y-axes
b. Not graph the targets on the same graph, as this is not typically done
c. Graph the targets on one graph with a single Y-axis
d. Not graph the targets on the same graph because they are both deceleration targets

Answer 4

a. Consider graphing on a single graph with two differently scaled Y-axes

Question 5

What is the accurate graphing consideration below that should guide a behavior analyst when determining how to chart one acceleration target and one deceleration target?

a. Track all acceleration and deceleration targets on a single graph
b. Always have two distinct Y-axes, one for each target behavior on the chart, making sure each behavior is charted on a different scale
c. Do not track acceleration and deceleration targets together
d. If the acceleration target is meant to be a replacement behavior, charting it along with the deceleration target can help determine if replacement is occurring

Answer 5

d. If the acceleration target is meant to be a replacement behavior, charting it along with the deceleration target can help determine if replacement is occurring

Question 6

Measurement of multiple dimensions of a single target behavior …

a. Can be confusing and should be avoided unless required by an oversight body
b. Should only be done with a low frequency target behavior that exhibits reasonably stable duration per event
c. Can demonstrate important changes in a target behavior that may not be revealed by measuring a single dimension
d. Provides very little useful additional information over and above the proper measurement of a single dimension

Answer 6

c. Can demonstrate important changes in a target behavior that may not be revealed by measuring a single dimension

Question 7

According to the definition provided in the lecture, which of the following would NOT be an example of a restrictive procedure?

a. Timeout
b. Contingent observation timeout
c. Physical restraint to stop severe aggression
d. Redirection

Answer 7

d. Redirection

Question 8

Which of the following must be tracked and graphed?

a. Learning opportunities
b. Redirections in class
c. Response cost procedures
d. Percent correct on learning trials

Answer 8

c. Response cost procedures

Question 9

Emergency procedures are:

a. Always part of a behavior treatment plan
b. Never discussed in a behavior treatment plan
c. Part of a behavior plan only after approval by a human rights committee
d. Generally not considered part of a behavior treatment plan

Answer 9

d. Generally not considered part of a behavior treatment plan

Question 10

A behavior program contains a specific restrictive procedure as the intervention to use whenever a certain dangerous target behavior occurs. Staff-persons are observed using this procedure even when that specific target behavior has NOT occurred. This non-programmatic use of a restrictive procedure could indicate any of the following, except:

a. Staff were not effectively trained in the programmatic use of this procedure
b. Procedural drift has caused staff to implement the program incorrectly
c. A new and possibly dangerous target behavior has emerged in the individual’s repertoire, and staff have generalized use of the procedure to the new behavior
d. None: that is, all of these listed answers are possible explanations for this non-programmatic use of a restrictive procedure

Answer 10

d. None: that is, all of these listed answers are possible explanations for this non-programmatic use of a restrictive procedure

Question 11

The way data appear on a chart can be manipulated by changing:

a. Both the X-axis and the Y-axis
b. The X-axis only
c. Neither the X-axis nor the Y-axis
d. The Y-axis only

Answer 11

a. Both the X-axis and the Y-axis

Question 12

When charting data, it is important to keep all the session lengths:

a. Widely different, to capture variation in behavior
b. Short and somewhat varied, to avoid distorting the data
c. The same, as much as possible, to avoid misleading data paths
d. As long as possible, to capture a broad range of behavior

Answer 12

c. The same, as much as possible, to avoid misleading data paths

Question 13

In the lecture, cumulative records were presented as methods used to compare X and evaluate Y .

a. X = Antecedents Y = Consequences
b. X = Teaching strategies Y = punishment interventions
c. X = Reinforcers Y = punishers
d. X = Teaching strategies Y = choice

Answer 13

d. X = Teaching strategies Y = choice

Question 14

What is the correct sequence of action for a behavior analyst when using trials-to-criterion?

a. Determine a trial; record count; decide how to report; present data
b. Determine a trial; decide how to report; record count; present data
c. Determine a trial; present data; decide how to report; record count
d. Decide how to report; determine a trial; record count; present data

Answer 14

b. Determine a trial; decide how to report; record count; present data

Question 15

Trials-to-criterion is not done with which of the following dimensions?

a. Duration
b. IRT
c. Latency
d. Frequency

Answer 15

b. IRT

Question 16

The discrete categorization data are compiled and reported as:

a. Number of selections divided by number of categories
b. Total number of selections
c. Probability distributions across each category
d. Percentage of coded responses in each category

Answer 16

d. Percentage of coded responses in each category

Question 17

Which of the following is the best use of discrete categorization?

a. Sequence analysis of biting episodes
b. Number of mands per day
c. Severity rating of episodes of self-injury
d. Rate of talk-outs in class

Answer 17

c. Severity rating of episodes of self-injury

Question 18

Which of the following would be an expression of a mathematical probability?

a. 12
b. 0
c. -.09
d. All of these are probabilities

Answer 18

b. 0

Question 19

Probability measures are best used for describing the likelihood of:

a. A self-injurious contact to follow a precursor
b. A consequence functioning as a reinforcer
c. Self-injurious contacts per hour
d. On-task behavior

Answer 19

a. A self-injurious contact to follow a precursor

Question 20

Which of the following probabilities indicates a behavior is least likely to occur?

a. .3
b. -100
c. – 1.0
d. 0

Answer 20

d. 0

Question 21

An accurate way of stating a formula for calculating either percent occurrence or percent correct would be: Number of observations or trials that

a. Meet criterion, divided number of all observations or trials
b. Meet criterion, multiplied by number of all observations or trials, divided by 100
c. Do not meet criterion, divided by number of all observations or trials, multiplied by 100
d. Meet criterion, divided by number of all observations or trials, multiplied by 100

Answer 21

d. Meet criterion, divided by number of all observations or trials, multiplied by 100

Question 22

Which of the following is always presented as a percent?

a. Rate of aggression
b. Newly acquired behavior
c. DRA trials
d. IV integrity

Answer 22

d. IV integrity

Question 23

A percentage must be interpreted most cautiously when:

a. A large number of clients are included
b. Less than 200 observations are recorded either within or between observations
c. Multiple percentages are compared between widely different numbers of trials
d. It is calculated with individuals with intellectual disabilities

Answer 23

c. Multiple percentages are compared between widely different numbers of trials

Question 24

Descriptive statistics may be used for interpretation or _____ of samples

a. Collection
b. Description
c. Visual assessment
d. Pattern analysis

Answer 24

b. Description

Question 25

Reporting a median over a mean is best when:

a. There are extreme values in a data set
b. The values in the data set are very close in value
c. There are a large number of observations
d. It is never acceptable to report the median without the mean

Answer 25

a. There are extreme values in a data set

Question 26

When using descriptive statistics, a behavior analyst must ensure that:

a. The sample is large enough to make any measurement meaningful
b. All individuals in the group exhibit the same functional skill levels
c. Data on individual behaviors are all collected simultaneously
d. All outlying data points are excluded from the data set

Answer 26

a. The sample is large enough to make any measurement meaningful

Question 27

According to the Pareto Principle:

a. 20% of the population is responsible for 75% of variability
b. 15% of the population is responsible for 80% of variability
c. 25% of the population is responsible for 50% of variability
d. 20% of the population is responsible for 80% of variability

Answer 27

d. 20% of the population is responsible for 80% of variability

Question 28

The Pareto Principle may be important to behavior analysts in that it can:

a. Help identify how to effectively allocate clinical resources
b. Rule out maintaining variables
c. Help identify the most likely effective consequence-based intervention
d. Verify the results of a functional assessment

Answer 28

a. Help identify how to effectively allocate clinical resources

Question 29

Which of the following is a use for archival data?

a. Design interventions
b. Rule-out ineffective treatments
c. Select the most effective intervention
d. Assess when to implement trials

Answer 29

b. Rule-out ineffective treatments

Question 30

Surveys are best used when

a. A functional analysis is neither possible nor appropriate
b. One is selecting an intervention for more than one individual
c. One’s client does not provide consent for interviews
d. One wants anonymous information from a group of individuals

Answer 30

d. One wants anonymous information from a group of individuals

Question 31

Variability is typically assessed in relation to:

a. The level
b. The population mean
c. The Y axis
d. The trend

Answer 31

d. The trend

Question 32

In almost every process on which we take data, we would expect to find _____ variation.

a. Statistically significant measures of
b. Special cause
c. A measurement falling beyond one standard deviation of
d. Common cause

Answer 32

d. Common cause

Question 33

Decision rules in SPC are most effectively monitored by_____

a. Visual analysis of on-going data
b. Visual and statistical analyses
c. Software analyzing on-going data
d. Statistics applied to historical data

Answer 33

c. Software analyzing on-going data

Question 34

The main reason to avoid using SPC techniques for evaluating most baselines is that performing an SPC analysis…

a. Relies on statistics, and so may give an inaccurate view of behavior
b. Would require an extended baseline condition
c. Can lead to false positives
d. Is not always effective

Answer 34

b. Would require an extended baseline condition