ABA Exam Coach

G.19: Design and evaluate procedures to promote emergent relations and generative performance.

Free practice questions for this part of the BCBA, with an explanation for every option.

In matching-to-sample training, a learner is taught to select a picture of a cat (B) when the printed word CAT (A) is the sample. The learner is also taught to select a toy cat (C) when the picture of a cat (B) is the sample. Without further training, when the toy cat (C) is the sample, the learner selects the printed word CAT (A) from an array. Which derived relation does this C-A performance demonstrate?
  1. A. Reflexivity
    Reflexivity is matching a stimulus to itself (for example, A-A).
  2. B. Equivalence (combined symmetry and transitivity)
    Correct. C-A reverses the trained relations and links them through the shared node (B), so it tests equivalence (combined symmetry and transitivity).
  3. C. Symmetry
    Symmetry would be reversing a single trained relation, such as B-A after A-B training.
  4. D. Transitivity
    Transitivity would be A-C, which links the trained relations through B in the trained direction.
A BCBA arranges 3 actions (push, roll, drop) and 3 objects (ball, car, block) in a matrix. She teaches only "push ball," "roll car," and "drop block." The learner then correctly follows untaught instructions such as "roll ball" and "push block." This generative performance is best termed:
  1. A. Recombinative generalization through matrix training
    Correct. Teaching the diagonal of a matrix and getting untaught combinations of the trained components is recombinative generalization.
  2. B. Stimulus equivalence
    Equivalence involves derived relations among stimuli matched through shared nodes. It is not about recombining response components.
  3. C. Response chaining
    Chaining links a sequence of responses. It does not produce untaught combinations.
  4. D. Stimulus generalization across settings
    The setting did not change. The new performances are new combinations of components.
Before any matching training begins, a therapist shows a 7-year-old a picture of a cat as the sample. The learner then selects the identical cat picture from an array of three pictures. This performance is an example of which property of stimulus equivalence?
  1. A. Reflexivity
    Correct. Reflexivity is generalized identity matching: selecting a comparison that is physically identical to the sample (A = A) without specific training for that stimulus.
  2. B. Transitivity
    Transitivity involves a relation between stimuli linked through a shared stimulus (A→B, B→C, so A→C). It needs at least two trained relations.
  3. C. Symmetry
    Symmetry is the reversal of a trained relation (if A→B is trained, B→A emerges). Here no relation was trained and no reversal is tested.
  4. D. Equivalence
    Equivalence is shown by combined tests of symmetry and transitivity (for example, C→A). A single identity match does not demonstrate it.

Take the free diagnostic