Question
Difficulty: easy. Skill: recognize. Type: applied scenario.
The team is choosing an intervention for leaving the instructional area. Assessment and stakeholder feedback must be considered under mitigating unwanted effects of reinforcement, extinction, and punishment. What should the BCBA prioritize? The case file includes 5 recent sessions, 3 implementers, and 2 settings.
AClassify the consequence by whether behavior increases or decreases and whether a stimulus is added or removed in relation to learner's leaving the instructional areaCorrect answer
BChange the intervention immediately based on the concern alone
CContinue unchanged and ignore the new contextual information
DAdd a punishment procedure before clarifying function, risk, or feasibility
Explanation
Answer AThe clue is the combination of four sessions of stable baseline data followed by two overlapping intervention points, leaving the instructional area, and the required task: Mitigating unwanted effects of reinforcement, extinction, and punishment. The case file includes 5 recent sessions, 3 implementers, and 2 settings. Classify the consequence by whether behavior increases or decreases and whether a stimulus is added or removed in relation to learner's leaving the instructional area is best because it answers that clue through reinforcement and punishment by behavior change 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 four sessions of stable baseline data followed by two overlapping intervention points, leaving the instructional area, and the required task: Mitigating unwanted effects of reinforcement, extinction, and punishment. The case file includes 5 recent sessions, 3 implementers, and 2 settings.
TrapCommon trapThis is weaker because it skips the assessment, integrity, or decision rule needed before changing procedures.
NextIf you missed it, review Reinforcement and punishment by behavior changeThen answer a few related scenarios before moving back to broad practice.
Why the other choices are weaker
BChoice BThis is weaker because it skips the assessment, integrity, or decision rule needed before changing procedures.
CChoice CIgnoring relevant data or context prevents a defensible behavior-analytic decision.
DChoice DA punishment-first response is weaker when less intrusive, function-based, or assessment steps have not been addressed.
Study tags
Reinforcement and punishment by behavior changeMitigating unwanted effects of reinforcement, extinction, and punishmentpositive reinforcementnegative reinforcement
Related concept pages
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