RBT exam. 71 good questions, nicely answered!

What is the BACB and when was it established?

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board is a nonprofit organization and was established in 1998.

What is compassionate care?

Understanding that each family and its members have unique circumstances that contribute to the way they participate in ABA treatment
We have a responsibility to individuals that we treat each member of their family unit to exhibit compassion throughout ABA treatment
Be aware of your personal biases
ABA treatment is its most successful when family members are active, positive participants

How do you exhibit compassionate care?

By honing soft skills, e.g., exhibiting patience, seeking to understand why they are doing what they are doing, keeping it simple, listening, asking questions, acknowledging biases etc.

What does applied, behavior, and analysis mean respectively?

Applied: socially significant change
Behavior: measurable, observable change
Analysis: relationships between the changes made to the environment and the behavior

What is a discriminative stimulus?

A stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced/a stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has produced reinforcement in the past

Sd signals that reinforcement is available
behavior is likely to occur in the presence of the Sd
difference between antecedent and an Sd is that an Sd is taught

What is target behavior?

The action of interest that the person engages in. Target behavior can be selected for decrease or for increase.

What are the categories/types of reinforcers?

1) Unconditioned = not learned/things you need, e.g., water, warmth, sleep, food in general

2) Conditioned = learned/things you want, e.g., stickers, toys, specific foods like chocolate

What is a conditioned reinforcer?

The pairing of a neutral stimulus with a reinforcing stimulus so that the neutral stimulus serves as a reinforcer

conditioned reinforcers need to be learned/they function due to past experiences
each person's learning history results in different reinforcers

What are characteristics of effective reinforcement?

Immediate
Sufficient magnitude = the size/amount of the reinforcer should match the response effort required to complete the task
Variable = presenting a variety of reinforcers to prevent satiation
Preferred = something the learner wants/enjoys/needs
Consistent = reinforcement occurs on a schedule after the desired behavior so that lasting behavior change can occur

What are preference assessments?

They determine an individual's preferences that can be used as potential reinforcers.

identifying reinforcers is necessary for learning
preferred items are not necessarily reinforcers. It is only a reinforcer if it increases the behavior that follows!!!!
reinforcers are person specific and preferences may vary from day to day or even within the session

What are the schedules of reinforcement?

Fixed Ratio (FR)
Fixed Interval (FI)
Variable Ratio (VR)
Variable Interval (VI)

What doe fixed, variable, ratio and interval mean respectively?

Fixed = every, exact
Variable = average
Ratio = number of responses or frequency
Interval = duration/time

What is Continuous Reinforcement? (CRF)

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF) is synonymous with FR1
Reinforcement is provided for each occurrence of behavior (either desirable or undesirable)
Produces higher rates of responding.
Good to use when learning new behaviors.

What is Intermittent Reinforcement (INT)?

Intermittent Reinforcement (INT) is every reinforcement schedule that is not FR1
Reinforcement is provided for some occurrences of the behavior
Used to maintain learned behavior

What is a token economy?

Conditioned reinforcement, tokens are a generalized reinforcer

token economies are used only after token training occurs
this is pairing an arbitrary item (token) with an established reinforcer
After a desired behavior occurs or an interval of time in the absence of an undesirable behavior a token/point is given. After the prescribed number of tokens/points are earned, they are traded in for a highly preferred item/activity.
Benefits include delayed reinforcement and the learner can visualize progress towards the terminal reinforcer as they earn each token

What is a in-the-moment reinforcer analysis?

A procedure in which the RBT assesses a variety of variables moment to moment to identify what could potentially function as a reinforcer. Informal.

What is errorless teaching?

An approach to teaching which reduces the number of errors made by altering one or more components of instruction
We want to prevent clients from learning the incorrect way to do something

What are stimulus prompts?

Prompts that operate directly on the antecedent task stimuli to facilitate a correct response in conjunction with the critical Sd. They are applied before the performance of the target behavior.

What is vocal verbal instruction?

Oral, telling an individual what to do
Not everything that is verbal is vocal

What is non-vocal verbal instruction?

Written words, manual signs, pictures, and checklists.

What is the most to least vocal prompt hierarchy?

Full Vocal (FV)
Partial Vocal (PV)
Initial Sound (O)
Independent (I)

What is the most to least physical prompt hierarchy?

Full Physical (FP)
Light Physical (LP)
Gesture (G)
Independent (I)

Response prompts: Modeling

RBT demonstrates or models the desired behavior
Requires that the individual has good attending and imitation skills
Individual must have some component behaviors in their repertoire

What is graduated guidance?

Physical prompt is only provided when needed, and the prompt is faded immediately as the individual responds correctly
Involves closely following an individual's movements with your hands... But not touching unless needed
Graduated Guidance provides opportunity for immediate physical prompt as needed

What is Time Delay prompting?

Time Delay prompting transfers stimulus control from prompt to Sd by gradually lengthening the time between the presentation of the Sd and presentation of the prompt

step 1): 0s delay of prompt
step 2): 2s delay of prompt
step 3): 4s delay of prompt

How do we transfer stimulus control from response prompts to the Sd?

Most to least prompts
graduated guidance
least to most prompts
time delay

What is stimulus fading?

Highlighting the physical dimension of a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a correct response

the dimension will be faded in and out depending upon the individual's responding
the antecedent changes, but the response stays the same
e.g., while learning to write the letter A, stimulus fading, may slowly decrease the boldness factor of the A

What is stimulus shape transformation?

Involves the identification of an initial stimulus that will prompt a correct response
Gradually changing the shape of the initial stimulus to the natural stimulus
The overall configuration or topography of the stimulus is changed
e.g., drawing a bed and fading it to write bed, or drawing a car and fading it to write car

What is response prevention?

Physically blocking the individual from making the incorrect response
Blocking access to an incorrect response or item
Redirecting
e.g., touch head and learner moves to touch stomach instead. Teacher would physically block individual from making contact with their stomach.

What is a redundancy cue?

One or more stimulus or response dimensions (e.g., color, shape, size) are paired with the correct choice. IT IS REDUNDANTLY DIFFERENT BY SIZE, COLOR, OR SHAPE.

e.g., correct answer is highlighted or presented in a different color than the incorrect colors
the correct answer is larger than the incorrect answer
2+2=... And then you can choose from a blue 4 and a black 5 and 10

What are positional cues?

Moving stimuli closer
Presenting stimuli separate from the others
Having B closer to the client when saying touch B and then fading out

What is prompt dependency?

Occurs when stimulus control has not been effectively transferred from the prompt to the naturally occurring stimuli.
Can also occur when prompts are implemented incorrectly, more intrusively or excessively, individuals can become reliant upon that prompt to respond or to respond correctly

What are ways to prevent prompt dependency?

Prompts should be systematically faded to a more natural stimulus to prevent prompt dependency.

provide prompts only when needed
provide prescribed prompts
increase and decrease prompts only according to prescribed criteria

What is Discrete Trial Training?

A discrete trial is a basic teaching unit that has a distinct beginning, middle, and end.

larger skills are broken down into smaller skills that are taught through discrete trials.
used to teach basic skills like imitation, receptive, and expressive identification
environment, materials, and individual responses are all teacher directed
employs errorless teaching

What is Distributed Trial?

Rotating between tasks and programs within the same teaching session.

What is Interspersed Trial?

Interspersing mastered skills with acquisition skills within the same teaching session.

What are the components of a DTT program?

Program title
Objective
Prompting hierarchy
Data collection
Correction procedure
Criteria to mastery
Baseline
Teaching procedure
Therapist behavior and individual response

What does preparation of a DTT program consist of?

Clear the environment from potential distractors
Have all program stimuli readily accessible
All augmentative communication should be easily accessible to individual
All tokens should be removed from the token board and the token board should be on the table
All reinforcers should be readily accessible

What are the DTT steps?

Gain attention
Provide Sd
Insert prompt
Individual response
Error correction/Reinforcement

How can you gain attention?

Not requiring previous training of individual

Sweep the eye with a reinforcer
Block visual distractions

Requiring previous training of individual

show me ready/ready response
scanning (learner looking at stimuli arranged on table, you can move it to test if they're looking at it)
using individual's name

What is receptive and expressive communication?

Communication is the exchange of messages between at least two people. Receptive communication is the process of receiving and understanding a message from another person. It can be thought of as the input. Expressive communication is a message to another person. It is the means by which feelings, wants, likes, dislikes, comments, and intents are expressed. It can be thought of as the output. For effective communication, both expressive and receptive communication must occur.

When do you implement reinforcement and error correction?

If the individual engages in the desired behavior, we want to reinforce it. This increases the likelihood that it will occur again.

When the individual engages in an undesired response or does not respond at all you want to implement error correction. It can be implemented after the Sd is provided or before, during, and after the prompt. We want to prevent the individual from engaging in the incorrect response. This is where you will implement response blocking.

What to do when the individual engages in the incorrect response:

Stop trial. Do not provide any reinforcement or verbal feedback.
Remove all materials.
Re-present materials and Sd.
Provide the most intrusive prompt in the hierarchy.
Provide neutral praise (i.e., that's better)
Mark a minus for data
Continue trials with the prescribed prompt.

What do the X and Y axis signal?

X axis is horizontal and Y axis is vertical. X axis signals data of session/time period. Y axis signals frequency/duration etc. Of the behavior.

What does the level mean in a graph?

Data points in relation the the vertical or Y axis.

What does trend mean in a graph?

Direction of the data. Described as increasing, decreasing, and 0.

What is a backward chain?

Teaching the last step until mastery, and then the second to last etc. until all steps are taught. The first step is taught last.
All responses in the task analysis are prompted by the staff member except the final response in the chain.

When might total task chaining be appropriate?

When the individual can already perform many of the tasks in the chain and/or has an imitative repertoire.

What is Incidental Teaching/Natural Environment Teaching?

Incorporates opportunities provided in the natural environment to teach language and play skills
It differs from discrete trial training because opportunities are individual directed, not teacher directed.
After an individual initiates with an item, promote them to expand upon their language. If the individual rolls a train on a track, promote them to say chugga chugga or choo choo

How to promote language in children

Use clear, concise, and easy to understand language. (use least amount of language as possible during initial learning)
Avoid abstract language and sarcasm
Wait 3-5 seconds for a response. Allow clients to process what you've said
Language first develops with nouns and verbs. Staff should use nouns and verbs as much as possible
Try to use the least amount of inflection in your tone as possible

inflection is also language

What are the steps to incidental teaching/NET?

Position yourself near the individual so that they would be able to gain your attention
Allow for responding
Modeling
Reinforcement
Repetition
Increase difficulty (move from mand to tact to echoic to intraverbal)

How to facilitate play skills

Play may not emerge in a developmental order
Surround client with peers
Prepare social interactions
Practice social interactions prior to social interactions with peers
Instructor behavior is important - behave like a peer

What are continuous measurement procedures?

Frequency/count = how often
Duration = how long
Interresponse Time (IRT) = how long in between two responses
Latency = how long it takes from when Sd is administered to the response is exhibited

What are discontinuous measurement procedures?

Partial Interval = did whatever we're tracking happen at all during the interval time
Whole Interval = did a behavior happen the ENTIRE interval
Momentary time sample = see if at the end of an interval the behavior is occurring

What is continuous measurement?

Measurement conducted so that all instances of the target behavior(s) are detected during the observation period
Measurement of all behaviors from a behavior plan or skill acquisition plan throughout a continuous amount of time, e.g., session, day, etc.

What is Inter Response time (IRT)

Measures the time in between two responses of the same response class
Response class = behaviors that look the same
The total amount of time between behaviors is documented using the appropriate unit of time, e.g., time in between voids

What is Discontinuous Measurement?

Measurement conducted in a manner where some of the instances of the target behavior(s) are detected during the observation
Measurement periods are split into intervals
Instances of the behavior are measured within those intervals

What is Momentary Time Sampling?

Type of measurement procedure that measures if the behavior is occurring at the end of the predetermined interval
Measurement is occurring only during a moment of time
Data is collected only at the end of the interval. If behavior is occurring at the end of the interval, it is recorded as occurring. If it is not occurring at the end of the interval, it is recorded as not occurring.
For behaviors in which staff are unable to consistently observe or monitor the individual throughout the session

What are forms of descriptive measurement?

ABC data, permanent product, and scatterplot

What is important to know about the functions of a behavior?

Tells us why a behavior occurs
Functions are reinforcers that maintain a behavior
When the function of the behavior is identified, replacement behaviors can be taught
The function of a behavior is identified after data collection and evaluation, i.e., FBA

What are the 4 functions of behavior?

SEAT

Sensory/Automatic:

negative= pain attenuation
positive= sensory stimulation

Escape (social negative reinforcement): removal of an aversive stimulus

Attention (social positive reinforcement): to seek attention from another

Tangible (social positive reinforcement): gain access to an item or activity

What is Functional Communication Treatment FCT?

Teaching an appropriate communication response as a replacement behavior based on the function of the challenging behavior
The client does not need to be vocal in order to functionally communicate

picture exchange
AAC device
sign-language

What are Differential Reinforcement Procedures?

Providing reinforcement ONLY for specific desirable behaviors/target behaviors and NOT providing reinforcement to undesirable behavior or behavior that is not the target behavior (extinction)

What are the Differential Reinforcement procedures?

Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO) = only one that is time based
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior (DRA) = you are replacing a behavior and that alternative behavior has to already be in their repertoire
Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior (DRI) = cannot be completed at the same time
Differential Reinforcement of Diminishing Rates (DRD)
Differential Reinforcement of High Rates (DRH)
Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)

What is Noncontingent Reinforcement (NCR)?

Reinforcement provided regardless of whether the target behavior occurs
Used as a method to decrease challenging behavior

This manner of providing reinforcement may make a challenging behavior less likely to occur by using satiation
Because client's will be satiated from the reinforcement provided, they will be less likely to engage in the challenging behavior to gain access to reinforcement

Social Skills Improvement System = SSIS

Rating scale assessment tool
DOMAIN AREAS include social skills, academics, and problem behavior
Used to identify social behavior needs and to identify priorities for social skills
advantages

time-efficient
easy to administer
significant for caregivers who are concerned about social skill development and focus

limitations

not behavior analytic
does not directly test skills

Essential for Living (EFL)

Assessment for challenging behaviors, low skill repertoire, and minimal speech

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

FBA is a systematic method of assessment that identifies the environmental cause and its effect on behavior
To treat challenging behavior, an FBA should be conducted
RBTs may assist with portions of this assessment
Purpose is

identify antecedents that evoke behavior
identify consequences that maintain behavior
identify replacement behaviors to the challenging behaviors

this will allow assessors to hypothesize about the function of the undesirable behavior

Components

consent
operational definition
record review
indirect measures
direct measures
data analysis
incorporating research within recommendations
building a BIP from behavior assessment information

What is a Functional Analysis (FA)?

An assessment that consists of systematically environmental variables to gather information regarding the functional relation between those events and the behavior being assessed
A functional relation exists when 2 or more variables have shared variance
Used when

descriptive analysis (FBA) provided insufficient information or unclear function
clients presents with dangerous behavior that could seriously injure client or put others at risk

What is treatment integrity?

The extent to which programming for a client is implemented as designed.

What are treatment integrity failures?

Consistency errors

Failure to implement the procedure on every occasion as it is supposed to be conducted

Accuracy errors

Failure to implement the procedure in entirety or as written

Errors of omission

Failure to implement the procedure or neglecting to implement specific components of the procedure

Errors of commission

Adding components that are not part of the procedure

RBT exam

71 important questions on RBT exam