Behavior Change Procedures

PSYC.5870 – Behavior Change Procedures
Final Exam, Part 1
200 points
Overview:
Part 1 of your final is comprised of several questions that will address topics covered
over the course of the semester.
• You have only one opportunity to complete this portion of the final (i.e., no
resubmissions). This assignment is due at the time and date posted on your
course calendar and should be submitted using the Assignment Dropbox in the
last week’s folder.
o Late submissions of the final will not be accepted.
• Answer each question using APA format and professional writing style. This
should include complete sentences/paragraph structure, professional font and
double spacing. Your final product will look similar to an APA paper. (There is a
sample paper included in the folder on Blackboard for your reference).
o Proofread your work before making a final submission. Writing style will be
scored as part of your final grade.
o It is not necessary to restate the entire question as part of your response.
▪ Please do include the question # as a level 1 or level 2 heading
before beginning your response (see APA guidelines for how to
format headings).
▪ Points will be deducted if it is not clear which question is being
answered.
• All responses should be supported by reference to course material, with the
corresponding in text citations and references at the end of your assignment.
• It is expected and recommended that you will reference your notes and prep
guides from the semester. However, you should not copy/paste large portions of
your prep guides as part of this submission.
Directions and Scoring:
Review the provided topics/writing prompts below. You will select and respond to 6
prompts, each worth 30 points. (6 x 30 pts = 180 pts). You will also receive up to 20
points for writing style (180 + 20 = 200 pts).
EXTRA CREDIT: You may choose to reply to one additional prompt (a total of 7) for
the opportunity to earn extra credit points. To note, the maximum points available will
still be 200, even if you earn more than 200 points with the extra credit included.
See rubric on next page
Content Rubric (each part of your response will be scored separately (out of 10 points)
Excellent Satisfactory Fair Below Expected Poor
10 points 7.5 points 5 points 2.5 points 0 points
All of the following:
Clarity: easy to read
and understand the
purpose of each
statement
Thoroughness:
addresses all parts
of prompt
Originality:
identifies content,
makes connections
and/or identifies
unique examples
Accuracy: correct
understanding of
content
Clarity: easy to read
and understand the
purpose of each
statement
One of the following:
Thoroughness: minor
omissions in
addressing prompts
completely
Originality/Accuracy:
limitations or minor
inaccuracies in
translating/explaining
content or generating
examples
Missing citations
More than one of
the following:
Clarity: phrasing is
hard to follow or
main point unclear
Thoroughness: minor
omissions in
addressing prompts
completely
Originality/Accuracy:
limitations or minor
inaccuracies in
translating/explaining
content or generating
examples
Missing citations
Any of the following:
Clarity: points are
unclear, excessively
brief or excessively
wordy
Thoroughness: omits
portion of response
or omits novel
examples where
required
Originality: quotes
excessively from
book without
translating into own
words (includes
excessive citations)
Accuracy: significant
inaccuracies in
translating/explaining
content
Any of the following:
Clarity: Cannot be
understood by a
novel reader
Thoroughness: does
not address prompt
Originality/Accuracy:
reflects inaccurate
content/application
suggesting lack of
reading or
comprehension
Formatting/Writing Style Rubric
Excellent Fair Poor
5 points 3 points 0 points
Formatting Typed, double-spaced, full
sentences, appropriate font
and size
Some formatting errors
are present
Multiple formatting errors are
present
Document is not presented in a
professional/academic format
References Citations are provided for any
direct quotes from the book
(i.e., page numbers)
Full citations are provided at
end of document
Minor errors in
citations and/or
reference list
Overt omission of citations or
reference page
Writing
Style
Responses do not simply
restate the prompt
Ideas are grouped thematically
Flows naturally from one idea
to the next
Some areas are difficult
to read, follow, or
determine main
ideas/sequencing of
ideas
Responses simply restate the prompt
without original content
Submission is difficult to understand
as a novel reader
Student uses unprofessional
language and/or style
Many structural errors
Writing
Conventions
Absent of spelling and
grammatical errors
Proofreading has occurred
Document includes
some errors
Document includes many errors
Evidence that proof-reading has not
occurred (e.g., spell check)
Writing Prompts:
1. Topic: Behavioral Teaching Strategies (10 pts per section)
a. Identify at least one component of this course that is related to each of the
following instructional strategies: PSI, Interteaching, Precision Teaching
b. Explain how you could incorporate the following strategies into a course like
this: ASR, guided notes, SAFMEDS
c. As a consulting BCBA in a public school setting, you are asked to address offtask behavior of students in a special education room serving high functioning
students with developmental disabilities and ASD. All students in the
classroom are verbal, however they are performing at different academic
levels. You have observed that the school day consists mostly of group
instruction. Make recommendations that could be helpful in this environment,
based on the instructional strategies reviewed during week 1 in this course.
Your recommendations should include at least 3 strategies, descriptions of
how precisely the strategy should be used, and rationale.
2. Topic: Cultural Humility (10 pts per section)
a. Describe how the concept of culture plays an important role in the field of
behavior analysis.
b. What is the difference between cultural competence and cultural humility?
c. What are some actionable steps you can take to develop cultural awareness
of self as a student of behavior analysis and as a practicing BCBA?
3. Topic: Applications of Reinforcement
As a supervising BCBA in a school setting your caseload includes a classroom of K3
rd grade students with autism spectrum disorder and moderate intellectual disability.
The teachers have identified tangible and edible reinforcers that are effective during
skill acquisition programs, but they need guidance on how to transition toward more
naturalistic forms of reinforcement throughout the day (e.g., using praise alone as a
reinforcer). (10 pts per section)
a. Why is praise considered a conditioned reinforcer?
b. Describe which variables associated with the quality of praise (i.e., variability,
descriptive, and enthusiastic) you will recommend for the teachers to use and
provide a rationale for your recommendation.
c. List/describe how you recommend the teachers use 3 of the 9 recommended
guidelines to use reinforcement (in this case, praise) effectively.
4. Topic: Antecedent Manipulations and Prompting
In your classroom, one student engages in challenging behavior (i.e., tantrum) each
time his teacher goes to retrieve the bin that contains his instructional materials.
Your functional assessment results are consistent with the hypothesis that tantrum
behavior is maintained by avoidance.
a. In this scenario, describe the role of the teacher retrieving the bin (i.e., is this
an MO or an SD). If you propose classifying this as an MO, describe what
TYPE of CMO is being observed, what is being signaled.
b. Describe and apply at least two recommendations that could weaken the
relationship that has been established (see Carbone, 2011).
c. Describe how you could teach a replacement behavior using
prompting/prompt fading.
5. Topic: Shaping
One of the swim instructors at your local YMCA has allowed you to come in for an
observation of a lesson with one of her students, a 6-year-old girl. She is starting to
teach her how to dive into the pool. After observing, you decide that the use of
shaping to teach the target skill would most likely be effective. (10 pts per section)
a. List the starting behavior and 2-3 additional approximations that the swim
instructor might teach and reinforce as part of a shaping program for this
response (HINT: if you have never seen someone learn how to dive for the
first time, they usually don’t start by standing on their two feet!).
b. Describe how the swim instructor will use differential reinforcement and
extinction as part of the shaping process.
c. Outline the recommended guidelines for effective shaping, and comment on
how the swim instructor may incorporate each of these recommendations into
her diving lesson with her young pupil.
6. Topic: Chaining
You are responsible for training a new co-worker how to properly use the cash
register to ring up customer purchases. You write an 8-step task analysis to assist
with your training. (10 pts per section)
a. What are the four ways you can validate the task analysis? Your response
should explain the strategies and also clarify how these will be used in the
context of this specific skill/TA development.
b. Will you use forward, backward, or total-task chaining to teach this skill?
Provide a rationale for your selection. Briefly discuss what that strategy
would look like during implementation.
c. What prompting strategies will you use? How will you fade out your prompts?
Be specific and detailed in your response.
7. Topic: DTI/NET
Briefly describe each of the following components for both discrete trial instruction
and for naturalistic intervention. (10 pts per section)
a. How are data collected and evaluated? What are the characteristics of the
setting in which instruction is conducted? How are materials organized?
b. How is rapport building incorporated into the first several sessions?
c. What are the characteristics of a learner who may benefit from this sort of
instruction?
8. Listener Responding and Discrimination Training
You are designing the instructional programming for an elementary student
diagnosed with autism. The program will address a complex discrimination skill.
a. Briefly describe the discrimination task that you will teach, including a
description of the target stimuli and the teaching arrangement.
b. Explain how you could incorporate the use of an observing response to help
establish appropriate stimulus control for this learner.
c. Describe a prompt fading strategy that incorporates the use of stimulus
prompts, and include a rationale for using stimulus prompts instead of
response prompts for the program you have described.
9. Topic: Verbal operants (10 pts per section)
a. Write a technical definition and give an example of each of the six operants
listed below. HINT: to best answer this question, clearly outline the
antecedents and consequences for each verbal operant in your example.
– Mand, Tact, Duplic (any form), Codic (any form), Intraverbals, Autoclitic
b. Now, give an example of how the same word can function as a mand, tact,
echoic, and intraverbal depending on the context.
c. Your 2-year-old nephew was jumping (very carefully) on a trampoline with his
older cousin on a beautiful spring day. When you approached them to give a
high-five through the netting, he put his hand out but quickly jerked it back in
pain from the static shock he felt caused by the friction of the trampoline net.
Later when his mom came outside to join in the fun, he put his hand out and
yelled out “OUCH! OUCH!” His mother was surprised to hear this utterance
as he had not used it to express pain, but quickly started to attend to him.
– Provide a brief description of the four ways in which your nephew’s verbal
community may continue to teach and reinforce tacts for private events.
10.Topic: Social Skills (10 pts per section)
a. Provide a brief definition for ‘social interaction.’
b. What are some examples of social skills that are important for acquiring and
maintaining gainful employment?
c. Describe how you would implement either the teaching interaction procedure
or behavioral skills training to teach one of the skills you identified above. Be
as detailed as you can in your reply.
11. Topic: Equivalence
Answer the questions about the equivalence paradigm shown: (10 pts per section)
a. What do the dotted lines, the solid lines,
and the letters A, B and C represent?
b. What training structure is represented?
Briefly describe what this training would look like.
c. How would class expansion be demonstrated?
Class merger?
12.Topic: Relational Frame Theory (10 pts per section)
a. Briefly describe relational frame theory, and explain how it is different (adds
something new) as compared to the stimulus equivalence paradigm.
b. Describe how a raisin can be related to a grape in the context of at least five
different relational frames. In your response, list the relation you are going to
describe, provide a brief definition, and then describe how the two stimuli are
related within the context of that frame.
c. You are working with a client who has difficulty with perspective taking.
Briefly explain how an understanding of RFT might help you to develop
programming that could support your client’s development of this skill set.
(Hint: consider the relational framing operants you may want to assess, and
then instruct). You do not need to fully describe an instructional program.
13.Acceptance and Commitment Training
a. Describe each of the 6 principles of the ACT hexagon model.
b. What role does rule-governed behavior play in ACT? Give an example.
c. Consider this claim: “ACT uses concepts that are too mentalistic, and are not
conceptually systematic”. Develop an argument in support of or opposed to
this claim, using support from the assigned readings.
14.As a practicing BCBA it will be important for you to practice compassionate care. (10
pts per section)
a. Describe what this means with reference to four core skills in this area
b. Outline some of the steps you can take to get the experience/training you
need to put these ideas into action.
c. As a supervisee, you should plan to play an active role in designing your
supervision curriculum and this aspect of your training may not be part of the
task list but is an essential skill when working with other humans! Briefly
describe how you would incorporate compassionate care training into your
supervision experience.
15. Generalization and Maintenance
You are consulting within a vocational program within a public school district. Part of
the programming involves teaching students job skills related to working in a grocery
store. The students are able to learn skills within the school building in a mock store,
and also are able to work actual shifts at a nearby grocery store to generalize their
skills.
a. Define the two settings described in behavioral terms, and describe a few
target skills that might be the focus of instruction for these learners.
b. Describe the type of assessment and planning that you would complete with
the team in order to best plan for skills to generalize across settings.
c. Describe at least three specific tactics that you would use to program for
generalization with the specific skills you have identified.
16.Generative Learning
You are about to begin a new unit with your preschool classroom in which you will
learn about textures (hard, soft, rough, smooth, etc.) as well as visual patterns
(stripes, polka dots, checkers, zig zags, etc.). You want to use the most efficient
teaching strategies that you can, in order to maximize learning. You also want to
assure the children are understanding the concepts and not just memorizing specific
examples
a. Describe how you could use multiple exemplar training to teach the concepts
described above. How would this promote generalization and concept
formation?
b. Describe how you could use matrix training to teach the concepts described
above. How would this maximize learning?
c. Describe how you could incorporate a “train – test” design into your teaching.
Explain the advantage of using this model as it relates to the concept of
generative learning.