Practice question
Concepts and Principles

Respondent versus operant conditioning: Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change.

Original BCBA scenario practice question with answer explanation and wrong-choice notes.

Test this weak areaPractice this domainDomain study hub

Question

Difficulty: medium. Skill: apply. Type: concept discrimination.

Student responds differently when the antecedent, consequence, or learning history changes. Which concept from respondent versus operant conditioning is most relevant? The case file includes 9 recent sessions, 1 implementer, and 1 setting.

A
Send the written protocol again without observing performance
B
Proceed informally because the team believes the action will help
C
Tell everyone to try harder and review the case next month
D
Classify the consequence by whether behavior increases or decreases and whether a stimulus is added or removed in relation to student's calling out during independent work

Correct answer

Explanation

Answer D

The clue is the combination of frequency data that vary from 3 to 11 responses per session, calling out during independent work, and the required task: Respondent versus operant conditioning. The case file includes 9 recent sessions, 1 implementer, and 1 setting. Classify the consequence by whether behavior increases or decreases and whether a stimulus is added or removed in relation to student's calling out during independent work is best because it answers that clue through reinforcement and punishment by behavior change instead of treating the scenario as a generic behavior problem. On exam items like this, name the decision point first, then eliminate options that rely on one report, a label, a familiar protocol, or an action that skips the relevant data check.

Why this question is hard

Clue
Key scenario clue

The clue is the combination of frequency data that vary from 3 to 11 responses per session, calling out during independent work, and the required task: Respondent versus operant conditioning. The case file includes 9 recent sessions, 1 implementer, and 1 setting.

Trap
Common trap

Written directions alone do not verify performance or correct implementation errors.

Next
If you missed it, review Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change

Then answer a few related scenarios before moving back to broad practice.

Why the other choices are weaker

A
Choice A

Written directions alone do not verify performance or correct implementation errors.

B
Choice B

Good intent does not replace consent, documentation, competence, or other safeguards.

C
Choice C

Vague delayed feedback does not create a measurable plan for improvement.

Study tags

Reinforcement and punishment by behavior changeRespondent versus operant conditioningpositive reinforcementnegative reinforcement

Turn this into a study plan

If this question felt difficult, practice a short drill from Concepts and Principles and use the review page to turn missed items into a weak-area plan.

Test this weak areaStart B domain drillReview missed questionsExplain my own question

Related study guides

GuideDistractor patternsUse this if the wrong answer sounded plausible.GuideMissed-question reviewUse this if you want to turn the miss into a study rule.GuideScore plateau guideUse this if similar mistakes keep repeating.

Try 5 similar questions

bcba-009Positive and negative reinforcement contingencies: Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change.Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change, Positive and negative reinforcement contingencies, positive reinforcementbcba-010Positive and negative punishment contingencies: Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change.Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change, Positive and negative punishment contingencies, positive reinforcementbcba-011Automatic versus socially mediated contingencies: Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change.Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change, Automatic versus socially mediated contingencies, positive reinforcementbcba-016Operant and respondent extinction: Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change.Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change, Operant and respondent extinction, positive reinforcementbcba-112Respondent versus operant conditioning: Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change.Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change, Respondent versus operant conditioning, positive reinforcement

Question FAQ

What BCBA domain does this question cover?

This practice question is tagged to Concepts and Principles. It also includes study tags for Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change, Respondent versus operant conditioning, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement.

How should I review this practice question?

Answer the scenario before reading the explanation, compare your reasoning with the correct answer, then review why the distractors are weaker.

Is this an official BACB exam question?

No. This is an original study question for BCBA Scenario Tutor and is not an official BACB exam item.

Practice interactively

Try more BCBA scenario questions in the interactive practice mode, then use review tools to track missed domains and flagged items.

Start diagnosticQuestion directoryMore free questions