Question 1

A behavior analyst conducts an interview with the parents of one of her new clients and asks them how they think their child has responded to a new intervention. In this example, the teacher is using what kind of measurement?

Accepted Answer

A)  Complete 
B)  Continuous 
C)  Indirect 
D)  Direct

Question 2

The use of whole interval recording is most likely to cause the investigator to:

Accepted Answer

A)  accurately measure the occurrence of the target behavior 
B)  overestimate the occurrence of the target behavior 
C)  underestimate the occurrence of the target behavior 
D)  cause some form of measurement reactivity

Question 3

When researchers choose to limit observer's access to information about the study as a way of minimizing the chance that it might influence their judgments, we refer to observers as being ______:

Accepted Answer

A)  blind 
B)  reactive 
C)  independent 
D)  believable

Question 4

The overarching goal of behavioral measurement is:

Accepted Answer

A)  to produce data that will guide correct and meaningful interpretations 
B)  to identify functional relationships in order to decrease problem behaviors 
C)  to record data that supports the practitioner or researcher's hypothesis 
D)  to provide a quantitative basis for talking about covert events

Question 5

How can participants be appropriate for the role of observer?

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

List the 4 goals of observing and recording.

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

If an observation is complete and accurate, what does that mean?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If an observation is complete and accurate,...

Question 8

The first step in designing an observation procedure with equipment is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  determine what changes in the environment consistently result from responding and whether equipment would work 
B)  consider how one or more of the changes in the environment can be the focus of some device 
C)  establish some procedures for insuring that the device is working properly 
D)  calibrate the device's output in relation to its input

Question 9

Some of the problems with interval recording and momentary time sampling can be minimized by:

Accepted Answer

A)  taking repeated measurements 
B)  limiting the number of observation periods 
C)  selecting very short intervals 
D)  increasing the sample size

Question 10

Why is it useful to distinguish between observing and recording?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is it useful to distinguish between...

Question 11

Scientists always prefer direct measurement over indirect measurement because:

Accepted Answer

A)  Indirect measurements are difficult to administer in field settings 
B)  Direct measurement is much easier to implement 
C)  Indirect measurement is more time consuming as it requires the investigator to create, administer, and record the data from the measurement tool 
D)  Indirect measurement requires them to make assumptions between what is measured and what it is supposed to represent

Question 12

What is a blind observer and when might a researcher use one?

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

You are attempting to help your best friend stop smoking. In order to tell if your intervention works, you decide that you'll need some baseline data on the number of cigarettes that he smokes per day. You have some of the same classes, so you decide to record the number of cigarettes he smokes from 8:00am to 11:00am on Mondays and Wednesdays. In this example, you are using:

Accepted Answer

A)  incomplete observation 
B)  indirect measurement 
C)  complete observation 
D)  automatic observation

Question 14

What can investigators do to minimize the disadvantages of discontinuous observation procedures?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What can investigators do to minimize the...

Question 15

What advantage does equipment have over human observation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Equipment can be programmed by individuals who do not have any previous programming experience 
B)  Automated equipment is unresponsive to events that fall outside of their design parameters 
C)  Mechanical equipment is much better at doing the same task repeatedly without being influenced by anything outside of their programmed parameters 
D)  There are no advantages to using equipment over human observers

Question 16

All of the following are steps in designing a human observation procedure, except:

Accepted Answer

A)  designing and implementing a training program 
B)  determining task requirements observers must meet 
C)  considering how the demands on observers can be minimized 
D)  collecting interobserver agreement data to assess accuracy and reliability

Question 17

If you decided that you were going to use automatic observation in your study, what steps should you follow in designing this type of procedure?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you decided that you were going...

Question 18

What question about resulting data does incomplete observation raise?

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

The ability of partial interval, whole interval, and momentary time sampling procedures to provide accurate descriptions of responding is affected by the:

Accepted Answer

A)  unit of analysis and number of participants 
B)  number of participants and distribution of responses 
C)  size of the interval and distribution of responses 
D)  size of the interval and number of participants

Question 20

What must be done to legitimize the use of indirect measurement?

Accepted Answer

A)  The investigator must present clear experimental evidence about the relationship between what is being measured and what it is supposed to represent 
B)  The investigator must use the indirect measurement for an extended period of time in order to allow enough time for the intervention to demonstrate its effects 
C)  The investigator must repeatedly measure the target behavior using the indirect measurement 
D)  The investigator must use a large enough sample size to show that the results will generalize to other populations

Exam 6: Observing and Recording