Question

"Xiang, a BCBA, spends the morning observing a new client in his preschool classroom. She keeps a log of the antecedents that precede his tantrums and the consequences the follow his tantrums. She finds that every time he has a tantrum, a teacher gives him attention. Xiang has achieves which level of scientific understanding?

a. Control
b. Description
c. Replication
d. Prediction"

Answer 1

Xiang's observational study of a preschool child's tantrums and the subsequent attention received is an example of achieving the description level of scientific understanding. Xiang has documented the relationship between behavior and consequences, but no controlled experimentation or predictions have been made.

Step-by-step explanation:

Xiang, a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), is conducting an observational study by monitoring a preschool child's behavior. By observing the antecedents and consequences of the child's tantrums, Xiang is achieving a level of scientific understanding that corresponds with the description. A description involves documenting observables and their relationships, such as the association between the child's tantrums and receiving attention from a teacher.

In this scenario, Xiang has not yet manipulated variables to control the outcome, which would be necessary for achieving a level of control. Nor has Xiang made any predictions or replicated the study, which would correspond to the prediction and replication levels of scientific understanding, respectively. Therefore, the best answer to the student's question is b. Description, Xiang has only gathered observational data and documented the conditions surrounding the child's behavior.