RBT Competency Exam Practice

ABA

The science of applying behavioral principles to improve socially significant behavior.

Target behavior

A specific behavior selected for measurement or change.

Operational definition

An objective, observable, measurable description of a behavior.

Frequency

The number of times a behavior occurs.

Duration

How long a behavior lasts.

Latency

The time between an instruction or event and the start of a behavior.

Interresponse time (IRT)

The time between two consecutive instances of a behavior.

ABC data

Antecedent: what happened before the behavior; Behavior: what occurred; Consequence: what happened after.

Antecedent

An event or condition that occurs immediately before a behavior.

Behavior

An observable and measurable action performed by an individual.

Consequence

An event that occurs immediately after a behavior and may affect its future likelihood.

Preference assessment

A procedure used to identify items, activities, or experiences a client may prefer.

Reinforcement

A consequence that increases the future likelihood of a behavior.

Positive reinforcement

Adding a stimulus after a behavior, which increases that behavior in the future.

Negative reinforcement

Removing or avoiding an aversive stimulus after a behavior, which increases that behavior in the future.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the future likelihood of a behavior.

Positive punishment

Adding a stimulus after a behavior, which decreases that behavior in the future.

Negative punishment

Removing a stimulus after a behavior, which decreases that behavior in the future.

Conditioned reinforcer

A stimulus that becomes reinforcing through learning or association with other reinforcers.

Unconditioned reinforcer

A stimulus that is reinforcing without prior learning, such as food when hungry.

Primary reinforcer

Another term for an unconditioned reinforcer.

Secondary reinforcer

Another term for a conditioned reinforcer.

Token economy

A system in which tokens are earned for behavior and exchanged for backup reinforcers.

Token

A conditioned reinforcer earned for a target behavior and exchanged for something valuable.

Backup reinforcer

An item, activity, or privilege that can be exchanged for tokens.

Continuous reinforcement (CRF)

Reinforcing every occurrence of the target behavior.

Intermittent reinforcement

Reinforcing only some occurrences of a behavior.

Fixed-ratio schedule (FR)

Reinforcement after a set number of responses.

Variable-ratio schedule (VR)

Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses around an average.

Fixed-interval schedule (FI)

Reinforcement is available for the first response after a set amount of time.

Variable-interval schedule (VI)

Reinforcement is available for the first response after varying amounts of time.

Discriminative stimulus (SD)

A stimulus that signals reinforcement is available for a particular response.

Stimulus control

When a behavior occurs more often in the presence of a particular stimulus because of its reinforcement history.

Stimulus generalization

When a learned behavior occurs in the presence of stimuli similar to the original training stimulus.

Stimulus discrimination

Learning to respond differently to different stimuli.

Response generalization

When learning one behavior leads to other, similar behaviors.

Maintenance

The continued performance of a learned behavior after direct teaching or intensive reinforcement decreases.

Generalization

When a learned skill occurs with different people, settings, materials, or situations.

Prompt

An additional cue or assistance used to help someone perform a correct response.

Prompt hierarchy

An organized sequence of prompts arranged by their level of assistance.

Least-to-most prompting

Starting with the least intrusive prompt and increasing assistance as needed.

Most-to-least prompting

Starting with more assistance and gradually reducing it.

Prompt fading

Systematically reducing prompts so the learner responds more independently.

Stimulus prompt

Changing or emphasizing part of a stimulus to help evoke the correct response.

Response prompt

Assistance provided directly to help the learner perform a response.

Verbal prompt

Spoken assistance, such as giving a hint or saying part of the answer.

Gestural prompt

A gesture, such as pointing toward the correct item.

Model prompt

Demonstrating the desired response for the learner to imitate.

Positional prompt

Arranging materials so the correct choice is easier to select.

Physical prompt

Using physical guidance to help the learner perform a response.

Full physical prompt

Providing substantial physical guidance through the response.

Partial physical prompt

Providing limited physical guidance to assist with a response.

Independent response

A correct response performed without prompts.

Errorless learning

Teaching that minimizes errors by providing sufficient prompts and fading them systematically.

Discrete-trial training (DTT)

A structured teaching method involving a clear instruction, learner response, and consequence, often followed by an intertrial interval.

Natural environment teaching (NET)

Teaching skills within everyday activities and naturally occurring situations.

Incidental teaching

Using a learner’s naturally occurring interests or motivation to create teaching opportunities.

Task analysis

Breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable steps.

Chaining

Teaching a sequence of steps that make up a larger skill.

Forward chaining

Teaching the first step of a sequence first, then adding subsequent steps.

Backward chaining

Teaching the final step first while providing assistance for earlier steps.

Total-task chaining

Teaching all steps of a sequence during each teaching opportunity, prompting where needed.

Behavior chain

A sequence of responses in which each step helps cue the next step.

Shaping

Reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behavior.

Successive approximation

A behavior that increasingly resembles the final target behavior.

Discrimination training

Teaching a learner to respond in the presence of one stimulus and not another.

Functional communication training (FCT)

Teaching an appropriate communication response that serves the same function as a challenging behavior.

Mand

A request for a desired item, activity, help, or removal of something.

Tact

Labeling or naming something in the environment.

Intraverbal

A verbal response to another person’s verbal behavior without directly copying it.

Echoic

Repeating another person’s spoken words.

Listener responding

Responding appropriately to another person’s verbal instruction or statement.

Imitation

Copying another person’s modeled action.

Behavior

Any observable action or response of an organism.

Skill acquisition

Teaching new behaviors or skills.

Behavior reduction

Procedures designed to decrease challenging or unsafe behaviors.

Baseline

Measurement of behavior before an intervention begins, used for comparison.

Data collection

Systematically recording information about behavior and skill performance.

Frequency recording

Counting how many times a behavior occurs.

Rate

The number of behavior occurrences per unit of time.

Duration recording

Measuring how long a behavior lasts.

Latency recording

Measuring the time between an antecedent or instruction and the start of the response.

Interresponse time recording

Measuring the time between consecutive responses.

Whole-interval recording

Scoring behavior only if it occurs throughout the entire interval.

Partial-interval recording

Scoring behavior if it occurs at any point during the interval.

Momentary time sampling

Recording whether behavior is occurring at one specific moment, usually at the end of an interval.

Permanent-product recording

Measuring the lasting outcome of a behavior rather than directly observing the behavior itself.

Trial-by-trial data

Recording the result of each individual teaching trial.

Percentage correct

The number of correct responses divided by total opportunities, multiplied by 100.

Accuracy

How closely a measurement or recorded result reflects what actually occurred.

Reliability

The consistency of a measurement or recording process.

Validity

The extent to which a measurement assesses what it is intended to measure.

Interobserver agreement (IOA)

The extent to which two or more observers independently record the same behavior consistently.

Graph

A visual display of data used to identify patterns and changes in behavior.

Trend

The overall direction of data over time.

Level

The typical value or magnitude of data within a phase.

Variability

The degree to which data points fluctuate.

Functional behavior assessment (FBA)

A process used to identify variables that may influence and maintain a behavior.

Functional analysis (FA)

A systematic assessment that tests possible behavioral functions by manipulating relevant environmental variables.

Behavioral function

The outcome that maintains a behavior, such as attention, escape, access to tangibles, or automatic reinforcement.