Question
Difficulty: medium. Skill: apply. Type: experimental design critique.
The team wants stronger evidence before scaling a plan for completing a multi-step job routine. Which design decision best fits threats to internal validity? The case file includes 6 recent sessions, 4 implementers, and 3 settings.
AContinue unchanged and ignore the new contextual information
BAdd a punishment procedure before clarifying function, risk, or feasibility
CUse the descriptive label as the explanation and treatment target
DCheck measurement quality, observer agreement, and procedural integrity before making a major decision in relation to adult client's stopping work after corrective feedbackCorrect answer
Explanation
Answer DThe clue is the combination of duration data showing long pauses after feedback, stopping work after corrective feedback, and the required task: Threats to internal validity. The case file includes 6 recent sessions, 4 implementers, and 3 settings. Check measurement quality, observer agreement, and procedural integrity before making a major decision in relation to adult client's stopping work after corrective feedback is best because it answers that clue through measurement quality and procedural integrity 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
ClueKey scenario clueThe clue is the combination of duration data showing long pauses after feedback, stopping work after corrective feedback, and the required task: Threats to internal validity. The case file includes 6 recent sessions, 4 implementers, and 3 settings.
TrapCommon trapIgnoring relevant data or context prevents a defensible behavior-analytic decision.
NextIf you missed it, review Internal validity and confoundsThen answer a few related scenarios before moving back to broad practice.
Why the other choices are weaker
AChoice AIgnoring relevant data or context prevents a defensible behavior-analytic decision.
BChoice BA punishment-first response is weaker when less intrusive, function-based, or assessment steps have not been addressed.
CChoice CA label is not enough; the decision should be based on observable behavior and relevant variables.
Study tags
Measurement quality and procedural integrityThreats to internal validityvalidityreliability
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