BCBA UPDATED 2026 EXAMS SCRIPT QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Textual - ✔✔Reading, without implication that the reader understands what is read.
READING WRITTEN WORDS.
VERBAL SD has point-to-point correspondence, but no formal similarity
Produces GENERALIZED CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT.
✔✔Transcription - ✔✔Writing & spelling words spoken to you.
TAKING DICTATION.
Controlled by spoken VERBAL SD
Point-to-point correspondence but no formal similarity
Produces GENERALIZED CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT.
✔✔Autoclitic - ✔✔Verbal bx about one's own verbal bx.
Secondary verbal operant.
Modifies other forms of verbal bx.
✔✔Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔A rule that describes a contingency of
reinforcement. Determines conditions by which bxs will be reinforced.
✔✔Continuous Reinforcement (CRF) - ✔✔Provides reinforcement for every occurence
of bx.
,Used for strengthening novel bxs.
✔✔Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔INT
Between CRF & EXT
Some, but not all, occurrences of bx are reinforced.
Used for maintaining bxs that have already been established.
✔✔4 Basic Schedules of INT Reinforcement - ✔✔FVFV
Fixed Ratio
Variable Ratio
Fixed Interval
Variable Interval
✔✔Fixed Ratio (FR) - ✔✔Constant, set criteria of number of responses of bx that have
to occur before reinforcement.
Postreinforcement Pause
High rates of responses
Graph=STEPS
✔✔Variable Ratio - ✔✔STRONGEST basic schedule of INT reinforcement.
Average of occurrences of the target bx before reinforcement.
Produces consistent, steady rates of response.
Fast rate of responses
Graph=super fast & steep
✔✔Fixed Interval (FI) - ✔✔Constant specific amount of time elapses before a single
response produces reinforcement.
SCALLOP.
SLow-to-moderate rate of responses.
Graph=FISH
✔✔Variable Interval - ✔✔VI
Average amount of time elapses before single correct response produces
reinforcement.
Constant, stable rate of responding.
Few hesitations between responses.
,Low-to-moderate rate of responding
Graph=not steep
✔✔Thinning INT Reinforcement - ✔✔AKA: Schedule Thinning
Gradually increasing the response ratio or the duration of the time interval.
✔✔Ratio Strain - ✔✔A result of abrupt increases in ratio requirements when moving
from denser to thinner reinforcement schedules.
Common behavioral characteristics are avoidance, aggression, etc.
✔✔Reduce the ratio requirement - ✔✔How can ratio strain be reduced?
✔✔Limited Hold - ✔✔AKA: LH
A restriction placed on an interval schedule requiring that to e eligible for reinforcement,
the response must occur within a specified span of time following that interval.
Can be imposed on any type of schedule.
Limited Time
✔✔3 Variations of INT Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔HDL (Heavy Duty Love)
DRH
DRD
DRL
✔✔Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Responding (DRH) - ✔✔Provides
reinforcement for emitting bxs that are at or above a pre-established rate.
Helps to INCREASE bx.
✔✔Differential Reinforcement of Diminishing Rates of Responding (DRD) - ✔✔Provides
reinforcement when the number of responses in a specified time period is less than, or
equal to, a prescribed limit.
Helps to DECREASE bx, BUT not to eliminate it entirely.
✔✔Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL) - ✔✔Provides
reinforcement only if the bx occurs following a specific period of time during which it did
not occur or since the last time it occurred.
INCREASING IRT, to lower rate of responding.
DECREASE bx, but not to eliminate it entirely.
, ✔✔Progressive Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔Systematically increasing the
requirements for reinforcement.
Thinned to the "breaking point", when the participant stops responding.
✔✔7 Compound Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔CMCMTAC
Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement
Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement
Chained Schedules of Reinforcement
Mixed Schedules of Reinforcement
Tandem Schedules of Reinforcement
Alternative Schedules of Reinforcement
Conjunctive Schedules of Reinforcement
✔✔Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement (conc) - ✔✔1. 2 or more contingencies of
reinforcement
2. operate independently & simultaneously
3. for 2 or more bxs
Choice-making.
Matching Law is part of this schedule
✔✔Matching Law - ✔✔AKA: Matching Theory
A phenomenon in which an organism MATCHES their responses according to the
highest rate of reinforcement.
✔✔Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement (mult) - ✔✔Presents 2 or more basic
schedules of reinforcement in an alternating, usually random, sequence for ONLY 1 or
more bx.
Schedules occur successively & independently.
SD is correlated with each schedule.
✔✔Chained Schedules of Reinforcement (chain) - ✔✔2 or more basic schedule
requirements that occur successively & has an SD correlated with each independent
schedule with 1 or more bxs.
3 Important elements:
1. occur in a specific order
2. bx may be the same or different bx may be required for different elements
3. conditioned reinforcement for 1st bx is the presentation of the 2nd element
✔✔Mixed Schedules of Reinforcement (mix) - ✔✔Identical to multiple schedules,
EXCEPT has no SD
AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Textual - ✔✔Reading, without implication that the reader understands what is read.
READING WRITTEN WORDS.
VERBAL SD has point-to-point correspondence, but no formal similarity
Produces GENERALIZED CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT.
✔✔Transcription - ✔✔Writing & spelling words spoken to you.
TAKING DICTATION.
Controlled by spoken VERBAL SD
Point-to-point correspondence but no formal similarity
Produces GENERALIZED CONDITIONED REINFORCEMENT.
✔✔Autoclitic - ✔✔Verbal bx about one's own verbal bx.
Secondary verbal operant.
Modifies other forms of verbal bx.
✔✔Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔A rule that describes a contingency of
reinforcement. Determines conditions by which bxs will be reinforced.
✔✔Continuous Reinforcement (CRF) - ✔✔Provides reinforcement for every occurence
of bx.
,Used for strengthening novel bxs.
✔✔Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔INT
Between CRF & EXT
Some, but not all, occurrences of bx are reinforced.
Used for maintaining bxs that have already been established.
✔✔4 Basic Schedules of INT Reinforcement - ✔✔FVFV
Fixed Ratio
Variable Ratio
Fixed Interval
Variable Interval
✔✔Fixed Ratio (FR) - ✔✔Constant, set criteria of number of responses of bx that have
to occur before reinforcement.
Postreinforcement Pause
High rates of responses
Graph=STEPS
✔✔Variable Ratio - ✔✔STRONGEST basic schedule of INT reinforcement.
Average of occurrences of the target bx before reinforcement.
Produces consistent, steady rates of response.
Fast rate of responses
Graph=super fast & steep
✔✔Fixed Interval (FI) - ✔✔Constant specific amount of time elapses before a single
response produces reinforcement.
SCALLOP.
SLow-to-moderate rate of responses.
Graph=FISH
✔✔Variable Interval - ✔✔VI
Average amount of time elapses before single correct response produces
reinforcement.
Constant, stable rate of responding.
Few hesitations between responses.
,Low-to-moderate rate of responding
Graph=not steep
✔✔Thinning INT Reinforcement - ✔✔AKA: Schedule Thinning
Gradually increasing the response ratio or the duration of the time interval.
✔✔Ratio Strain - ✔✔A result of abrupt increases in ratio requirements when moving
from denser to thinner reinforcement schedules.
Common behavioral characteristics are avoidance, aggression, etc.
✔✔Reduce the ratio requirement - ✔✔How can ratio strain be reduced?
✔✔Limited Hold - ✔✔AKA: LH
A restriction placed on an interval schedule requiring that to e eligible for reinforcement,
the response must occur within a specified span of time following that interval.
Can be imposed on any type of schedule.
Limited Time
✔✔3 Variations of INT Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔HDL (Heavy Duty Love)
DRH
DRD
DRL
✔✔Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Responding (DRH) - ✔✔Provides
reinforcement for emitting bxs that are at or above a pre-established rate.
Helps to INCREASE bx.
✔✔Differential Reinforcement of Diminishing Rates of Responding (DRD) - ✔✔Provides
reinforcement when the number of responses in a specified time period is less than, or
equal to, a prescribed limit.
Helps to DECREASE bx, BUT not to eliminate it entirely.
✔✔Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL) - ✔✔Provides
reinforcement only if the bx occurs following a specific period of time during which it did
not occur or since the last time it occurred.
INCREASING IRT, to lower rate of responding.
DECREASE bx, but not to eliminate it entirely.
, ✔✔Progressive Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔Systematically increasing the
requirements for reinforcement.
Thinned to the "breaking point", when the participant stops responding.
✔✔7 Compound Schedules of Reinforcement - ✔✔CMCMTAC
Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement
Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement
Chained Schedules of Reinforcement
Mixed Schedules of Reinforcement
Tandem Schedules of Reinforcement
Alternative Schedules of Reinforcement
Conjunctive Schedules of Reinforcement
✔✔Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement (conc) - ✔✔1. 2 or more contingencies of
reinforcement
2. operate independently & simultaneously
3. for 2 or more bxs
Choice-making.
Matching Law is part of this schedule
✔✔Matching Law - ✔✔AKA: Matching Theory
A phenomenon in which an organism MATCHES their responses according to the
highest rate of reinforcement.
✔✔Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement (mult) - ✔✔Presents 2 or more basic
schedules of reinforcement in an alternating, usually random, sequence for ONLY 1 or
more bx.
Schedules occur successively & independently.
SD is correlated with each schedule.
✔✔Chained Schedules of Reinforcement (chain) - ✔✔2 or more basic schedule
requirements that occur successively & has an SD correlated with each independent
schedule with 1 or more bxs.
3 Important elements:
1. occur in a specific order
2. bx may be the same or different bx may be required for different elements
3. conditioned reinforcement for 1st bx is the presentation of the 2nd element
✔✔Mixed Schedules of Reinforcement (mix) - ✔✔Identical to multiple schedules,
EXCEPT has no SD
