Practice question
Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations

Interpret private events without treating them as independent causes.

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

Question

Difficulty: hard. Skill: analyze. Type: applied scenario.

A client says, 'I hit because I feel anxious.' What is the most behavior-analytic way for the BCBA to use this information?

A
Treat anxiety as the sole cause and stop assessment
B
Ignore the statement because private events never matter
C
Consider it useful information while still assessing observable contexts and consequences

Correct answer

D
Replace all data collection with self-report ratings

Explanation

Answer C

Radical behaviorism can include private events as behavior, but intervention decisions still require analysis of observable environmental relations.

Why the other choices are weaker

A
Choice A

A private-event label should not end functional assessment.

B
Choice B

Private events can be relevant, especially as reported behavior and context.

D
Choice D

Self-report can supplement assessment but should not replace direct data when direct data are needed.

Study tags

Private EventsRadical BehaviorismAssessment

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