PSY 205 MIDTERM QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
What is behavior? - Answers - What people do and say, NOT a label. Measurable and
can be observed and recorded.
What is a target behavior? - Answers - End-goal behavior in behavior modification (Ex.
Zero instances of eraser chewing)
What is reactivity? - Answers - When a behavior changes due to the behavior being
recorded and observed.
What is a behavioral excess/deficit? - Answers - Behavioral excess is a behavior that
we look to decrease, behavioral deficit is a behavior that we look to increase.
What is the Dead person's test? - Answers - If a dead person can do it, it's NOT a
behavior; all the "not"s, "don't"s, etc. (Ex. Not throwing toys, not doing chores).
Duration - Answers - Total time occupied with behavior from start to finish.
Frequency - Answers - Number of times behavior occurs during observation period.
Intensity - Answers - Amount of force, energy, exertion involved
Latency - Answers - Amount of time between stimulus and onset of behavior.
Rate - Answers - Frequency divided by time of the observation period (Ex. 10 instances
in 10 minutes may be reported as a rate of 1 instance per minute).
ABAB design - Answers - Type of reversal design. Baseline -> Treatment -> Baseline ->
Treatment. Shows functional relationship. Cannot be used if reverting to baseline is
dangerous or impossible.
Changing-criterion designs - Answers - Ranges of criterion deemed effective that vary in
height along Y axis. Determine if effectiveness was achieved each trial.
AB design - Answers - Simple baseline -> treatment. Does not show functional
relationship because there is no reversal.
Baseline - Answers - Recording period before treatment is implemented
Extraneous variable - Answers - Some external variable that may better explain
research results than the independent variable does.
, Dependent variable - Answers - The variable being assessed for change (Effect)
Independent variable - Answers - The variable introduced to make the change (Cause)
Reversal design - Answers - Any research design with reversal to show functional
relationship. ABAB, ABACAB, ABABAC, any number of variants.
Multiple-Baseline Across-subjects - Answers - 2+ subjects, same behavior, staggered
over time
Multiple-Baseline Across-behavior - Answers - 2+ behaviors, same subject, staggered
over time.
Multiple-Baseline Across-settings - Answers - 2+ settings, same subject, same
behavior.
Data points - Answers - Plotted points on the graph that show where on both the X and
Y axes the behavior falls into (Ex. 3 times on week 4)
Vertical Axis - Answers - Y axis or ordinate
Horizontal Axis - Answers - X axis or abscissa
Legend - Answers - Key on a graph.
Phase lines - Answers - Lines that indicate change in treatment over time (Ex. Baseline,
treatment 1, treatment 2, etc)
Direct assessment - Answers - Observing and recording by researcher. Active.
Preferred method.
Indirect assessment - Answers - Interviews, questionnaires, rating scales. Recall.
Covert behavior - Answers - Can be observed/recorded only by the individual
Overt behavior - Answers - Can be observed/recorded by others.
Time sample recording - Answers - Observing only one part of a time interval (ex. 1 min
every 15 mins)
Interval recording - Answers - Splitting up observation period into smaller intervals and
recording percentage of intervals that the behavior occurred.
Partial Interval recording - Answers - Marked if occurs at any point in the interval
ANSWERS
What is behavior? - Answers - What people do and say, NOT a label. Measurable and
can be observed and recorded.
What is a target behavior? - Answers - End-goal behavior in behavior modification (Ex.
Zero instances of eraser chewing)
What is reactivity? - Answers - When a behavior changes due to the behavior being
recorded and observed.
What is a behavioral excess/deficit? - Answers - Behavioral excess is a behavior that
we look to decrease, behavioral deficit is a behavior that we look to increase.
What is the Dead person's test? - Answers - If a dead person can do it, it's NOT a
behavior; all the "not"s, "don't"s, etc. (Ex. Not throwing toys, not doing chores).
Duration - Answers - Total time occupied with behavior from start to finish.
Frequency - Answers - Number of times behavior occurs during observation period.
Intensity - Answers - Amount of force, energy, exertion involved
Latency - Answers - Amount of time between stimulus and onset of behavior.
Rate - Answers - Frequency divided by time of the observation period (Ex. 10 instances
in 10 minutes may be reported as a rate of 1 instance per minute).
ABAB design - Answers - Type of reversal design. Baseline -> Treatment -> Baseline ->
Treatment. Shows functional relationship. Cannot be used if reverting to baseline is
dangerous or impossible.
Changing-criterion designs - Answers - Ranges of criterion deemed effective that vary in
height along Y axis. Determine if effectiveness was achieved each trial.
AB design - Answers - Simple baseline -> treatment. Does not show functional
relationship because there is no reversal.
Baseline - Answers - Recording period before treatment is implemented
Extraneous variable - Answers - Some external variable that may better explain
research results than the independent variable does.
, Dependent variable - Answers - The variable being assessed for change (Effect)
Independent variable - Answers - The variable introduced to make the change (Cause)
Reversal design - Answers - Any research design with reversal to show functional
relationship. ABAB, ABACAB, ABABAC, any number of variants.
Multiple-Baseline Across-subjects - Answers - 2+ subjects, same behavior, staggered
over time
Multiple-Baseline Across-behavior - Answers - 2+ behaviors, same subject, staggered
over time.
Multiple-Baseline Across-settings - Answers - 2+ settings, same subject, same
behavior.
Data points - Answers - Plotted points on the graph that show where on both the X and
Y axes the behavior falls into (Ex. 3 times on week 4)
Vertical Axis - Answers - Y axis or ordinate
Horizontal Axis - Answers - X axis or abscissa
Legend - Answers - Key on a graph.
Phase lines - Answers - Lines that indicate change in treatment over time (Ex. Baseline,
treatment 1, treatment 2, etc)
Direct assessment - Answers - Observing and recording by researcher. Active.
Preferred method.
Indirect assessment - Answers - Interviews, questionnaires, rating scales. Recall.
Covert behavior - Answers - Can be observed/recorded only by the individual
Overt behavior - Answers - Can be observed/recorded by others.
Time sample recording - Answers - Observing only one part of a time interval (ex. 1 min
every 15 mins)
Interval recording - Answers - Splitting up observation period into smaller intervals and
recording percentage of intervals that the behavior occurred.
Partial Interval recording - Answers - Marked if occurs at any point in the interval
