A response form is not a function
Two learners can perform similar movements under different contingencies. ABC records describe what preceded and followed an event. They do not independently prove function from a single observation. RBTs contribute to assessment under assigned supervision; descriptive observation does not authorize experimental manipulation.
Read the exact reinforcement requirement
DRA uses a specified alternative response. DRI adds physical incompatibility with the target in the defined conditions. DRO uses an absence criterion, with resetting and nonresetting arrangements requiring different instructions. DRL uses a stated low-rate criterion. A numerical boundary such as no more than three includes exactly three.
Do not improvise an intervention
Extinction concerns an identified response–reinforcer relation, not ignoring a person or safety needs. A temporary increase in responding does not prove the plan is correct. Restrictive or punishment-based procedures require the documented plan and verified competence. Unexpected effects and unclear instructions should be reported through the appropriate supervisory and emergency processes.
A mistake worth catching
Calling a procedure time-out or extinction does not demonstrate its behavioral function or authorize using it.
The matching quiz uses 14 questions from our shared mixed bank. Each answer includes the reasoning for the alternatives.
Practice this topicScope and references
Original stipulated-plan examples, BACB ethics safeguards and OpenStax conceptual consequence definitions. These examples are educational, not client-specific clinical instructions. An RBT implements assigned procedures with appropriate supervision.
BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.)
RBT Ethics Code (2.0)
OpenStax: Operant Conditioning
Editorial revision: October 20, 2026.