Practice question
Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations

Interpret private events within a radical behaviorist framework.

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

Question

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

During an interview, a young child says, "I do not starting assignments because I feel nervous." How should the BCBA use this statement? The supervisor is deciding what feedback to give before the next session.

A
Treat nervousness as the sole cause and stop assessment
B
Ignore the statement because private events are never relevant
C
Use only self-report data for the behavior plan
D
Treat the statement as useful information while continuing to assess observable contexts

Correct answer

Explanation

Answer D

Radical behaviorism can include private events, but practice still requires analysis of observable variables and consequences.

Why the other choices are weaker

A
Choice A

Private-event reports do not replace assessment of behavior-environment relations.

B
Choice B

Private events can be relevant as behavior and as context for assessment.

C
Choice C

Self-report can supplement but should not replace needed direct and indirect assessment.

Study tags

Private EventsSelectionismRadical Behaviorism

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