BCBA Mock Exam OBHS
B Answer - A client under your supervision engages in frequent rumination that appears to have resulted in
substantial weight loss. What is the first assessment task?
a. Systematic manipulation of some variable
b. Records review
c. Nothing - the behavior is not change worthy
d. Conduct an IQ test
C Answer - You find that one of your clients has a substantial anxiety reaction to being in the lunchroom. You
posit that there is some kind of respondent conditioning process that has caused this, and you wish to try
respondent extinction. This would involve
a. Social extinction - ignore the child when he becomes anxious
b. Escape extinction - do not let the child escape from the lunchroom
c. Have the child frequently enter the lunchroom without any "traumatic" events occurring.
d. Have the child perform a task while in the lunchroom.
B Answer - The philosophy of determinism, as applied to the analysis of behavior, assumes that behavior is:
a. subject to random occurrences.
b. caused by some event or combination of events.
c. a cause of other events.
d. determined by the will of the person.
,B Answer - You take an initial baseline on "in seat" behavior. You then implement a token economy in which in
seat behavior is reinforced with tokens. Your treatment team decides to demonstrate the efficacy of the token
system, and recommends an A-B-C-B reversal design. Which of the following is an example of such a design?
a. In the 3rd phase, stop implementing the token system
b. In the 3rd phase, present tokens for out of seat behavior
c. Present the tokens for in seat behavior in another setting
d. Implement a schedule of less frequent tokens in phase 3
A Answer - You are talking with a staff member about a client's behavior, and that staff tells you that the client
exhibited a tantrum the other day. You wish to set up a program, but you feel that you will need consent to do
it. What are the three elements needed?
a. capacity, informed, voluntariness
b. informed, voluntariness, older than 18 years old
c. no coercion, cost/benefits, approval
d. informed, approval, legal age
B Answer - Describe how a DRI schedule might be used to decrease the frequency of walking around and
bothering other workers at the work site.
a. Have the person earn a reinforcer contingent on the absence of bothering others
b. Provide a reinforcer contingent on working diligently and quietly at his seat
c. Move his seat away from others and make it somewhat "isolated."
d. Reinforce appropriate asking to visit others
C Answer - You are having trouble getting Kenny on the van. Apparently, the action is effortful, as he has to
climb up the stairs, which gives him trouble. In fact, he has actually given up even trying. Using behavioral
momentum, how can this be treated?
a. Provide a reinforcer for getting on the van.
b. Prompt him briskly down the hall, and release him right before he reaches the steps of the van. Then fade
the release point backwards.
c. Give a reinforcer for some low effort actions then give the direction to "get on the van."
,d. Give small reinforcers for just looking at the van, then slowly increase the size of the reinforcer as he begins
getting up to walk toward the van.
B Answer - You are working with a client who finds physical touch to be aversive. When the person is off task,
the program calls for you to give a warning by counting to "10"; at that point, you gently touch him if he has
not back on task. The touch remains until he returns to task. Please note that being touched is aversive for this
particular individual.
If the person gets back on task during the counting, this is an example of:
a. Escape
b. Avoidance
c. Positive reinforcement
d. Stimulus fading
A Answer - You are working with a client who finds physical touch to be aversive. When the person is off task,
the program calls for you to give a warning by counting to "10"; at that point, you gently touch him if he has
not back on task. The touch remains until he returns to task. Please note that being touched is aversive for this
particular individual.
If the person gets back on task when he is touched, this is an example of:
a. Escape
b. Avoidance
c. Positive reinforcement
d. Negative punishment
C Answer - Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of effective punishment?
a. FR1
b. Unpaired with reinforcement
c. Slowly increasing the intensity of the punisher over time
d. Ensure alternative ways of obtaining the reinforcer
, D Answer - A child is having a tantrum in your classroom. You believe that the tantrum is occurring for your
attention. You therefore ignore the tantrum until it ceases while continuing daily activities. You note that the
tantrums decrease over time. This is an example of:
a. Punishment
b. Establishing operation
c. Timeout from reinforcement
d. Extinction
C Answer - You have been asked to consult on a case involving a 10 year old girl who engages in some severe
SIB at home, such as scratching her head, banging her head, and poking her eyes. She lives at home with her
mother and father. She is nonverbal, but will take her parents by the hand and show them things that she
wants. She seems to be able to perform many tasks, but the SIB definitely interferes with many activities.
For example, she engages in high-rate SIB during meals.
Select the most reasonable first step in the treatment process.
a. Quickly design a program to address the SIB
b. Consult with her teachers regarding her self-esteem
c. Conduct interviews with the parents and ask for any records that are available
d. Conduct interviews with her teachers and ask for any records that are available
A Answer - You have been asked to consult on a case involving a 10 year old girl who engages in some severe
SIB at home, such as scratching her head, banging her head, and poking her eyes. She lives at home with her
mother and father. She is nonverbal, but will take her parents by the hand and show them things that she
wants. She seems to be able to perform many tasks, but the SIB definitely interferes with many activities.
For example, she engages in high-rate SIB during meals.
Select the most reasonable first step in the treatment process.
You wish to conduct some descriptive analyses. Which of the following is NOT a rationale for such an activity?
a. To determine functional relations
b. To provide information that might lead to a functional relationship
c. To examine patterns of the behavior
d. To generate hypotheses about the behavior
B Answer - A client under your supervision engages in frequent rumination that appears to have resulted in
substantial weight loss. What is the first assessment task?
a. Systematic manipulation of some variable
b. Records review
c. Nothing - the behavior is not change worthy
d. Conduct an IQ test
C Answer - You find that one of your clients has a substantial anxiety reaction to being in the lunchroom. You
posit that there is some kind of respondent conditioning process that has caused this, and you wish to try
respondent extinction. This would involve
a. Social extinction - ignore the child when he becomes anxious
b. Escape extinction - do not let the child escape from the lunchroom
c. Have the child frequently enter the lunchroom without any "traumatic" events occurring.
d. Have the child perform a task while in the lunchroom.
B Answer - The philosophy of determinism, as applied to the analysis of behavior, assumes that behavior is:
a. subject to random occurrences.
b. caused by some event or combination of events.
c. a cause of other events.
d. determined by the will of the person.
,B Answer - You take an initial baseline on "in seat" behavior. You then implement a token economy in which in
seat behavior is reinforced with tokens. Your treatment team decides to demonstrate the efficacy of the token
system, and recommends an A-B-C-B reversal design. Which of the following is an example of such a design?
a. In the 3rd phase, stop implementing the token system
b. In the 3rd phase, present tokens for out of seat behavior
c. Present the tokens for in seat behavior in another setting
d. Implement a schedule of less frequent tokens in phase 3
A Answer - You are talking with a staff member about a client's behavior, and that staff tells you that the client
exhibited a tantrum the other day. You wish to set up a program, but you feel that you will need consent to do
it. What are the three elements needed?
a. capacity, informed, voluntariness
b. informed, voluntariness, older than 18 years old
c. no coercion, cost/benefits, approval
d. informed, approval, legal age
B Answer - Describe how a DRI schedule might be used to decrease the frequency of walking around and
bothering other workers at the work site.
a. Have the person earn a reinforcer contingent on the absence of bothering others
b. Provide a reinforcer contingent on working diligently and quietly at his seat
c. Move his seat away from others and make it somewhat "isolated."
d. Reinforce appropriate asking to visit others
C Answer - You are having trouble getting Kenny on the van. Apparently, the action is effortful, as he has to
climb up the stairs, which gives him trouble. In fact, he has actually given up even trying. Using behavioral
momentum, how can this be treated?
a. Provide a reinforcer for getting on the van.
b. Prompt him briskly down the hall, and release him right before he reaches the steps of the van. Then fade
the release point backwards.
c. Give a reinforcer for some low effort actions then give the direction to "get on the van."
,d. Give small reinforcers for just looking at the van, then slowly increase the size of the reinforcer as he begins
getting up to walk toward the van.
B Answer - You are working with a client who finds physical touch to be aversive. When the person is off task,
the program calls for you to give a warning by counting to "10"; at that point, you gently touch him if he has
not back on task. The touch remains until he returns to task. Please note that being touched is aversive for this
particular individual.
If the person gets back on task during the counting, this is an example of:
a. Escape
b. Avoidance
c. Positive reinforcement
d. Stimulus fading
A Answer - You are working with a client who finds physical touch to be aversive. When the person is off task,
the program calls for you to give a warning by counting to "10"; at that point, you gently touch him if he has
not back on task. The touch remains until he returns to task. Please note that being touched is aversive for this
particular individual.
If the person gets back on task when he is touched, this is an example of:
a. Escape
b. Avoidance
c. Positive reinforcement
d. Negative punishment
C Answer - Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of effective punishment?
a. FR1
b. Unpaired with reinforcement
c. Slowly increasing the intensity of the punisher over time
d. Ensure alternative ways of obtaining the reinforcer
, D Answer - A child is having a tantrum in your classroom. You believe that the tantrum is occurring for your
attention. You therefore ignore the tantrum until it ceases while continuing daily activities. You note that the
tantrums decrease over time. This is an example of:
a. Punishment
b. Establishing operation
c. Timeout from reinforcement
d. Extinction
C Answer - You have been asked to consult on a case involving a 10 year old girl who engages in some severe
SIB at home, such as scratching her head, banging her head, and poking her eyes. She lives at home with her
mother and father. She is nonverbal, but will take her parents by the hand and show them things that she
wants. She seems to be able to perform many tasks, but the SIB definitely interferes with many activities.
For example, she engages in high-rate SIB during meals.
Select the most reasonable first step in the treatment process.
a. Quickly design a program to address the SIB
b. Consult with her teachers regarding her self-esteem
c. Conduct interviews with the parents and ask for any records that are available
d. Conduct interviews with her teachers and ask for any records that are available
A Answer - You have been asked to consult on a case involving a 10 year old girl who engages in some severe
SIB at home, such as scratching her head, banging her head, and poking her eyes. She lives at home with her
mother and father. She is nonverbal, but will take her parents by the hand and show them things that she
wants. She seems to be able to perform many tasks, but the SIB definitely interferes with many activities.
For example, she engages in high-rate SIB during meals.
Select the most reasonable first step in the treatment process.
You wish to conduct some descriptive analyses. Which of the following is NOT a rationale for such an activity?
a. To determine functional relations
b. To provide information that might lead to a functional relationship
c. To examine patterns of the behavior
d. To generate hypotheses about the behavior
