This question-specific review guide is tied to the answer reasoning for a PracticeTestVault item. Use it after you answer the question so the review stays focused on what the prompt actually tested.
What this question is testing
Objective: Experimental Design
Prompt focus: A behavior analyst uses an A-B-A-B reversal design to evaluate an intervention. The primary purpose of the second A phase (the return to baseline) is to:
Why the correct answer works
Demonstrate experimental control by showing the behavior changes when the intervention is withdrawn
The return to baseline tests whether removing the intervention reverses the behavior, demonstrating experimental control.
Why the tempting wrong answer fails
Social validity assessment is a separate procedure, not the function of the reversal phase.
Plain-language takeaway
In an A-B-A-B design, returning to baseline conditions tests whether the behavior reverts toward baseline levels when the intervention is removed. If it does, and improves again when reintroduced, this replication demonstrates that the intervention, not an extraneous variable, produced the change.
Simple analogy
Think of experimental design like following a short checklist: identify the clue, confirm the rule, and then make the move that fits this exact scenario.
How to review it before a retake
- Underline the command word and name what the question is asking before rereading the choices.
- Compare the correct answer against the closest distractor and write the exact detail that separates them.
- Retest this objective with a fresh question without looking at the rationale first.