Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Practice Test

If a tantrum occurs 3 seconds after being told 'No' and lasted 14 minutes, what is the latency?

1. 14 minutes

2. 3 seconds

3. Unknown

4. Not applicable

The correct answer is: Unknown

The correct answer is based on understanding the concept of latency in behavioral terms. Latency refers to the time between the onset of a stimulus and the beginning of a response. In this case, the stimulus was telling the individual 'No,' and the response was the tantrum that occurred afterward. Since the tantrum started precisely 3 seconds after the verbal instruction was given, that timeframe of 3 seconds is indeed the latency for the response to occur. However, if we're considering the total duration of the tantrum (which lasted 14 minutes), that duration does not inform us about latency but rather describes how long the tantrum continued after it started. Choosing "Unknown" suggests a lack of clarity on the concept of latency itself. In behavioral analysis, latency is a measurable aspect that can be identified based on the sequence of events. Therefore, if the question asks for latency specifically regarding the interval before the tantrum begins, the correct interpretation would focus on the 3 seconds, not stating it as "unknown." In summary, the response duration, which is 14 minutes, does not affect the measurement of latency, which is the initial 3 seconds after the instructional stimulus. This understanding clarifies why the answer "C. Unknown" does not accurately