Practice question
Concepts and Principles

Imitation and observational learning: Rule-governed behavior and observational learning.

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

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Question

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

In a home program, child's dropping to the floor when demands are presented changes after a specific antecedent and consequence arrangement. Which analysis best matches imitation and observational learning? The case file includes 7 recent sessions, 2 implementers, and 1 setting.

A
Determine whether behavior is controlled by a stated rule, direct contingencies, or a modeled response in relation to child's dropping to the floor when demands are presented

Correct answer

B
Add a punishment procedure before clarifying function, risk, or feasibility
C
Use the descriptive label as the explanation and treatment target
D
Send the written protocol again without observing performance

Explanation

Answer A

The clue is the combination of caregiver notes plus one direct observation, dropping to the floor when demands are presented, and the required task: Imitation and observational learning. The case file includes 7 recent sessions, 2 implementers, and 1 setting. Determine whether behavior is controlled by a stated rule, direct contingencies, or a modeled response in relation to child's dropping to the floor when demands are presented is best because it answers that clue through rule-governed behavior and observational learning 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 caregiver notes plus one direct observation, dropping to the floor when demands are presented, and the required task: Imitation and observational learning. The case file includes 7 recent sessions, 2 implementers, and 1 setting.

Trap
Common trap

A punishment-first response is weaker when less intrusive, function-based, or assessment steps have not been addressed.

Next
If you missed it, review Rule-governed behavior and observational learning

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Why the other choices are weaker

B
Choice B

A punishment-first response is weaker when less intrusive, function-based, or assessment steps have not been addressed.

C
Choice C

A label is not enough; the decision should be based on observable behavior and relevant variables.

D
Choice D

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

Study tags

Rule-governed behavior and observational learningImitation and observational learningrule-governed behaviorcontingency-shaped behavior

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Related study guides

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Question FAQ

What BCBA domain does this question cover?

This practice question is tagged to Concepts and Principles. It also includes study tags for Rule-governed behavior and observational learning, Imitation and observational learning, rule-governed behavior, contingency-shaped behavior.

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.

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