Career upgrade: Learn practical AI skills for better jobs and higher pay.
Level up
Cheat sheet

BCBA Cheat Sheet

Behaviorism + Foundations

5%of exam

SelectionismDeterminismRadical BehaviorismABA Dimensions

Concepts + Principles

14%of exam

ReinforcementPunishmentExtinctionStimulus ControlMOs

Measurement + Display

12%of exam

Operational DefinitionsMeasurement PickerIOAGraphsValidity

Experimental Design

7%of exam

Design PickerVisual AnalysisReversalMultiple Baseline

Ethical Issues

13%of exam

CompetenceConsentConfidentialityPublic StatementsCulture

Behavior Assessment

13%of exam

RecordsPreferenceDescriptiveFunctional AnalysisGoals

Behavior-Change Procedures

14%of exam

Differential ReinforcementPromptingChainingShapingGeneralization

Selecting Interventions

11%of exam

Social ValidityContextual FitProcedural IntegrityRelapse

Supervision + Management

11%of exam

BSTFeedbackPerformance ManagementSupervision GoalsEquity

Quick Facts

Exam
BCBA
Questions
185 total
Scored
175 items
Pilot
10 items
Time
4 hours
Blueprint
TCO6
Result
Pass/fail
Initial fees
$370

ABA Dimensions

GET A CAB marks seven dimensions

GeneralEffectiveTechnologicalAppliedConceptualAnalyticBehavioral

Exam Format

Total
185 questions
Scored
175 questions
Pilot
10 questions
Time
4 hours
Tasks
104 TCO tasks
Domains
9 areas
Scoring
Criterion referenced

Foundations

Selectionism
Consequences select
Determinism
Lawful behavior
Empiricism
Observe data
Parsimony
Simplest account
Pragmatism
Effective action
ABA
Applied science
Radical
Private events included

Reinforcement vs Punishment

Reinforcement

  • Behavior increases
  • Consequence follows
  • Function defined

Punishment

  • Behavior decreases
  • Consequence follows
  • Function defined

Increase vs decrease

Concepts

Behavior
Observable activity
Response
Single instance
Response class
Same function
Stimulus
Environmental event
Reinforcement
Behavior increases
Punishment
Behavior decreases
Extinction
Reinforcer withheld
SD
Signals reinforcement
MO
Alters value
Verbal operant
Function of language

Positive vs Negative

Positive

  • Stimulus added
  • Not good
  • Operation word

Negative

  • Stimulus removed
  • Not bad
  • Operation word

Add vs remove

MO vs SD

MO

  • Changes value
  • Changes behavior
  • Motivating context

SD

  • Signals availability
  • Discriminative cue
  • Reinforcement history

Value vs signal

Validity vs Reliability

Validity

  • Measures target
  • Correct construct
  • Useful data

Reliability

  • Consistent measurement
  • Repeatable scores
  • Stable process

Right thing vs consistent

Measurement Picker

  1. Countable eventsFrequency
  2. Time differsRate
  3. Lasting behaviorDuration
  4. Cue to startLatency
  5. Between responsesIRT
  6. Product remainsPermanent product

Measurement

Frequency
Count responses
Rate
Count per time
Duration
How long
Latency
Cue to response
IRT
Between responses
Trials
Attempts to criterion
Permanent product
Outcome count
IOA
Observer agreement
Integrity
Procedure accuracy

Integrity vs IOA

Integrity

  • Plan implemented
  • Staff accuracy
  • Procedure fidelity

IOA

  • Observers agree
  • Data reliability
  • Measurement check

Doing vs counting

Graphs

Level
Data height
Trend
Data direction
Variability
Data spread
Immediacy
Quick change
Overlap
Shared range
Phase line
Condition change
Y-axis
Behavior measure

Single-Case Logic

PVR proves control

PredictionVerificationReplication

Design Picker

  1. Can withdraw treatmentReversal
  2. Cannot reverse safelyMultiple baseline
  3. Compare treatments fastMultielement
  4. Gradual goal shiftsChanging criterion
  5. Test componentsComponent analysis
  6. Test intensityParametric analysis

Designs

Prediction
Baseline projection
Verification
Effect checked
Replication
Effect repeated
Reversal
Remove IV
Withdrawal
Return baseline
Multiple baseline
Staggered starts
Multielement
Rapid alternation
Changing criterion
Stepwise targets

Ethics

Competence
Work within training
Consent
Informed permission
Assent
Client agreement
Confidentiality
Protect information
Documentation
Accurate records
Public statements
Truthful claims
Multiple relation
Boundary risk
Cultural humility
Responsive practice

Descriptive vs FA

Descriptive

  • Natural observation
  • Correlation
  • No manipulation

FA

  • Variables manipulated
  • Causal test
  • Controlled conditions

Observe vs test

Assessment

Records review
Existing data
Interview
Indirect source
ABC
Antecedent-behavior-consequence
Descriptive
Observe naturally
FA
Manipulate variables
Preference
Identify reinforcers
Skill assessment
Strengths/needs
Baseline
Before intervention

Differential Reinforcement

A, I, O, L: alternative patterns

DRADRIDRODRL

DRA vs DRO

DRA

  • Alternative behavior
  • Teach replacement
  • Function match

DRO

  • No target behavior
  • Interval based
  • No replacement required

Alternative vs absence

Intervention Picker

  1. Teach replacementDRA/FCT
  2. Impossible togetherDRI
  3. Reduce rateDRL
  4. Withhold reinforcerExtinction
  5. Need independencePrompt fading
  6. Need complex skillChaining

Change Procedures

DRA
Alternative reinforced
DRI
Incompatible reinforced
DRO
Absence reinforced
DRL
Low rate reinforced
NCR
Time-based reinforcement
FCT
Communication replacement
Shaping
Successive approximations
Chaining
Task steps linked
Prompting
Extra assistance

Interventions

Goal
Observable target
Replacement
Same function
Contextual fit
Feasible plan
Social validity
Stakeholder value
Evidence
Supported method
Relapse
Behavior returns
Generalization
Across contexts
Maintenance
Lasts over time

BST

Instructions, modeling, rehearsal, feedback

TellShowPracticeCorrect

Supervision

Contract
Clear expectations
BST
Teach performance
Feedback
Specific and timely
Modeling
Show skill
Rehearsal
Practice skill
Performance data
Staff behavior
Function-based
Match contingencies
Equity
Fair access

Common Traps

Positive vs pleasant

Positive means added Not necessarily preferred

Negative vs aversive

Negative means removed Not necessarily bad

Function vs topography

Function is why Topography is form

FA vs FBA

FA manipulates variables FBA is broader

IOA vs integrity

IOA checks data Integrity checks procedure

Ethics vs preference

Rights constrain choice Preference guides fit

Last Minute

  1. 1.TCO6 has 9 domains
  2. 2.175 scored, 10 pilot
  3. 3.Big domains: 14 / 14
  4. 4.Function beats topography
  5. 5.Positive means add
  6. 6.Negative means remove
  7. 7.MO changes value
  8. 8.SD signals availability
  9. 9.FA manipulates variables
  10. 10.BST = teach performance