BCBA Exam Review - 6th Edition Study Guide A-D

These flashcards focus on key terms and concepts related to the BCBA Exam based on the 6th Edition Study Guide.

Goals of Behavior Analysis

Description, Prediction, Control

Description

Simply stating the facts about an event or behavior.

Prediction

Hypothesizing the causes of observed events and drawing correlations.

Control

Manipulating variables to control the behavior of interest.

Selectionism

Behaviors are chosen based on environmental factors and consequences.

Phylogenic selection

Natural selection affecting species over generations.

Ontogenic selection

Focus on individual learning history in behavior analysis.

Cultural selection

Behaviors passed down through imitation and modeling.

Determinism

The belief that all behavior has a cause and follows lawful patterns.

Empiricism

The practice of tying scientific conclusions to objective observations and data.

Parsimony

Preferring the simplest explanation for behavior.

Pragmatism

Making practical choices based on anticipated outcomes.

Philosophical doubt

Continuously questioning the validity of findings and theories.

Radical Behaviorism

B.F. Skinner's perspective that includes private events in behavior analysis.

Private events

Internal thoughts, feelings, and emotions that influence behavior.

Mentalism

Explanations of behavior based on hypothetical constructs rather than environmental causes.

Behaviorism

A guiding philosophy about how behavior is studied.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Research involving experimentation with behavior under controlled conditions.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Intervention strategies based on principles of behavior analysis applied in real-world settings.

Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied, Analytic, Behavioral, Technological, Conceptually Systematic, Effective, and Generality.

Behavior

Anything an organism does that can be measured.

Response

A single instance of behavior.

Response Class

A group of responses that serve the same function.

Pivotal Behaviors

Behaviors that lead to new untrained behaviors.

Behavior Cusp

Behaviors that allow access to new reinforcers or environments.

Stimulus

Any change in the environment that evokes a reaction.

Stimulus Class

A set of stimuli that have similar characteristics.

Probe

A method to assess whether a client can perform a task.

Respondent Conditioning

A learning process where a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a reflex.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process where behavior is modified through consequences.

Positive Reinforcement

Presenting a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

Positive Punishment

Adding a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Automatic Reinforcement

Reinforcement that occurs without any social interaction.

Socially Mediated Reinforcement

Reinforcement that involves another individual.

Unconditioned Reinforcers

Reinforcers that have innate reinforcing properties without learning history.

Conditioned Reinforcers

Neutral stimuli that acquire reinforcing properties through pairing with unconditioned reinforcers.

Generalized Reinforcers

Reinforcers that have been paired with multiple other reinforcers.

Simple Schedule of Reinforcement

A method of delivering reinforcement such as continuous or intermittent schedules.

Concurrent Schedule of Reinforcement

Offering two or more reinforcement schedules at the same time.

Multiple Schedule of Reinforcement

Alternating between two or more schedules with an SD signaling the schedule.

Mixed Schedule of Reinforcement

Similar to multiple schedules but without an SD signaling the schedule.

Chain Schedule of Reinforcement

A sequence of basic schedules that must be followed in order to receive reinforcement.

Operant Extinction

Withholding reinforcement from a previously reinforced behavior.

Respondent Extinction

Unpairing a conditioned stimulus from its unconditioned stimulus.

Stimulus Control

Situations where behavior occurs more often in the presence of certain stimuli.

Stimulus Discrimination

The ability to differentiate between different stimuli.

Stimulus Generalization

Responding similarly to different stimuli that share similar properties.

Response Generalization

Different responses occur in the presence of the same stimulus.

Maintenance

The persistence of a learned behavior after teaching has ended.

Motivating Operations (MOs)

Events that affect the desirability of a reinforcer and influence behavior.

Rule-Governed Behavior

Behavior controlled by verbal contingencies.

Contingency-Shaped Behavior

Behavior controlled by direct consequences.

Verbal Behavior

Behavior that involves communication, including mands, tacts, echoics, and intraverbals.

Single Subject Experimental Design

An approach that focuses on individual behavior analysis.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The behavior being measured in response to changes in the independent variable.

Confounding Variables

Extraneous variables that can affect the outcome of an experiment.

External Validity

The extent to which results can be generalized beyond the study.

Internal Validity

The degree to which the effects observed in an experiment can be attributed to the independent variable.