Practice question
Behavior-Change Procedures

Use shaping for gradual response improvement.

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

Question

Difficulty: easy. Skill: recognize. Type: applied scenario.

A client cannot yet complete handwashing, but can perform a close approximation. What strategy is most appropriate? The caregiver asks for a rationale that can be written in the treatment note.

A
Reinforce successive approximations toward the terminal response

Correct answer

B
Require the terminal response before any reinforcement
C
Use extinction for all approximations
D
Change the goal every session without criteria

Explanation

Answer A

Shaping builds new behavior by reinforcing successive approximations to the target response.

Why the other choices are weaker

B
Choice B

That may be ineffective when the learner cannot yet perform the terminal response.

C
Choice C

Shaping depends on reinforcing closer approximations.

D
Choice D

Shaping should use planned criteria for approximation changes.

Study tags

ShapingSkill AcquisitionChaining

Practice interactively

Try more BCBA scenario questions in the interactive practice mode, then use review tools to track missed domains and flagged items.

Start practiceMore free questions