Practice question
Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations

Use observable environmental explanations instead of mentalistic labels.

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

Question

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

During consultation, a teacher says a learner refuses math because he is lazy and oppositional. Which response best reflects a behavior-analytic approach?

A
Accept the explanation because teacher reports are direct evidence
B
Define the behavior and assess antecedents and consequences around math tasks

Correct answer

C
Tell the teacher motivation cannot be changed
D
Use a personality inventory to confirm oppositional traits

Explanation

Answer B

Behavior analysis emphasizes observable behavior and environmental variables. The BCBA should operationally define the response and assess conditions related to it.

Why the other choices are weaker

A
Choice A

Teacher reports may guide assessment, but labels are not enough for analysis.

C
Choice C

Motivating variables can often be assessed and changed.

D
Choice D

A personality label does not identify the controlling variables for the behavior.

Study tags

BehaviorismObservable BehaviorEnvironmental Variables

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