BCBA Behavior-Change Procedures Practice Questions
Behavior-Change Procedures is the largest domain on the BCBA exam. Questions describe a procedure and ask you to name it, or describe a goal and ask which procedure fits best.
What Domain G covers
The 6th Edition Test Content Outline lists 19 tasks in this domain. Baseline has practice questions mapped to every one of them.
- G.1Positive and negative reinforcement procedures
- G.2Differential reinforcement (DRA, DRO, DRL, DRH)
- G.3Time-based (noncontingent) reinforcement schedules
- G.4Conditioned reinforcers and token economies
- G.5Using motivating operations and SDs in interventions
- G.6Simple and conditional discriminations
- G.7Prompting procedures
- G.8Fading prompts and stimuli
- G.9Modeling procedures
- G.10Instructions and rules
- G.11Shaping
- G.12Chaining
- G.13Trial-based vs. free-operant procedures
- G.14Group contingencies
- G.15Promoting generalization
- G.16Promoting maintenance
- G.17Punishment procedures: time-out, response cost, overcorrection
- G.18Emotional and elicited effects of procedures
- G.19Emergent relations and generative performance procedures
What to master
- Differential reinforcement (DRA, DRO, DRL, DRH) with and without extinction.
- Prompting and prompt fading: most-to-least, least-to-most, time delay, and stimulus fading.
- Shaping vs. chaining, and forward, backward, and total-task chaining.
- Token economies, group contingencies, and noncontingent reinforcement.
- Generalization and maintenance strategies, and punishment procedures with their side effects.
Common traps
- Confusing DRO (reinforce the absence of behavior) with DRA (reinforce a specific alternative).
- Mixing up shaping (changing the response) with fading (changing the prompt or stimulus).
- Ignoring extinction bursts and emotional side effects when evaluating a procedure.
Free Behavior-Change Procedures practice questions
Try these original questions written to match the format of the BCBA exam.
1. To teach handwashing, the therapist completes every step for the learner except the last one (drying hands), which the learner does independently. Once that is mastered, the learner completes the last two steps. This procedure is:
- Shaping
- Forward chaining
- Total-task chaining
- Backward chaining
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Backward chaining
Backward chaining teaches the final step first, so the learner contacts the natural reinforcer of completing the chain on every trial. Forward chaining starts with the first step; total-task chaining teaches all steps every session.
2. A child's whining was maintained by parental attention. On the first two days the parents stop attending to whining, the whining becomes louder and more frequent. This is best described as:
- Spontaneous recovery
- Resurgence
- Behavioral contrast
- An extinction burst
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. An extinction burst
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in the frequency, duration or intensity of behavior when reinforcement is first withheld. Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of the behavior after it has decreased during extinction.
Practice all 76 Behavior-Change Procedures questions
Full Prep includes every question in this domain with explanations, smart practice that targets your weakest tasks, unlimited timed mock exams, and an AI tutor. Start with the free diagnostic to see where you stand.