BxLog is PTB’s exam prep blog, edited and curated by veteran ABA professionals with a mission to provide candidates helpful tools and guidance along their BCBA® exam prep journey. Explore short videos and articles containing valuable information including explanations of Task List concepts and ABA terminology, study tips, mock exam questions with answer breakdowns, and lifestyle advice to maintain a healthy exam prep regimen.
Test your knowledge of differential reinforcement procedures as PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses the similarities and key differences between DRL and DRD procedures.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-5: Define and provide examples of schedules of reinforcement and G-14: Use reinforcement procedures to weaken behavior (e.g., DRA, FCT, DRO, DRL, NCR).
Test your ABA Terminology ➠ DRL vs. DRD Read More
Test your concepts and principles skills with PTB co-founder Dana Meller as she reviews a BCBA® mock exam question about response generalization. Dana highlights the differences between response generalization vs. stimulus generalization and shares a good rule of thumb for evaluating a response generalization scenario.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-11: Define and provide examples of discrimination, generalization, and maintenance.
Test your understanding of antecedents and behavior change with PTB co-founder Dana Meller. Here she explains the distinction between Sᵈs and MOs, explores their evocative function, and discusses how they can alter our behavioral repertoire when combined. Through relatable examples, Dana illustrates the importance of understanding the interplay between Sᵈs and MOs in behavior change.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control and B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.
Test your ABA Terminology ➠ MO vs Sᵈ Read More
Test your behavior-change procedures skills with PTB co-founder Dana Meller as she reviews a specific differential reinforcement procedure. Here, Dana compares and contrasts all of the differential reinforcement procedures: #DRL vs. #,DRD, #DRH, #DRO, as well as #DRA vs. #DRI.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section G-14: Use reinforcement procedures to weaken behavior (e.g., DRA, FCT, DRO, DRL, NCR).
Test your ABA Terminology ➠ Identify the Differential Reinforcement Procedure Read More
Test your Philosophical Underpinnings knowledge with PTB co-founder Dana Meller as she reviews a BCBA® mock exam question that breaks down the dimensions of ABA, identifying the specific dimension that describes the defining features of a behavior analyst. Included is a description of each of the answer options, determinism, empiricism, applied, and behavioral.
Refer to the BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section A-5: Describe and define the dimensions of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968).
There are seven ways to program for generalization. PTB co-founder Dana Meller dives into “Indiscriminable Contingencies”.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-11: Define and provide examples of discrimination, generalization, and maintenance; G-21: Use procedures to promote stimulus and response generalization.
Programming for Generalization: Expanding Skills Beyond the Learning Environment Read More
Test your knowledge of concepts and principles with PTB co-founder Dana Meller as she examines a question about one of the compound schedules of reinforcement that has the potential to challenge a client’s frustration tolerance. Dana emphasizes the frustrating components of this specific schedule by providing the key features and corresponding applied setting examples. Also included are descriptions of the chained reinforcement schedule and the trial-by-error process.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-5: Define and provide examples of schedules of reinforcement.
Challenge Your Knowledge of Compound Schedules of Reinforcement Read More
Test your terminology. PTB co-founder Dana Meller explains the umbrella term, “Motivating Operations” and breaks down the sub-categories.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.
Test your ABA Terminology ➠ Understanding Behavior-Altering Effects Read More
PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks down a BCBA® mock exam question.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections G-2: Use interventions based on motivating operations and discriminative stimuli; G-13: Use the high-probability instructional sequence.
Breaking Down a Mock BCBA® Exam Question: Behavioral Momentum Read More
PTB co-founder explains the different types of validity in ABA.
Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section D-2: Distinguish between internal and external validity.
Experimental Validity: The Relationship between Behavior Change & Independent Variables Read More