As behavior analysts, we know that effective practice relies not just on having the “right answer,” but on asking the right questions, interacting with complex systems, and adapting dynamically to new information. In today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, the BACB exam must catch up. While the current exam includes some vignettes, they lack the depth required to truly assess a candidate’s ability to navigate complex scenarios.
For future BCBAs to be prepared, the BACB exam should evolve to include more in-depth, real-world scenarios and emphasize skills in question framing, manding effectively, and iterative problem-solving with technology. Testing should reflect the competencies behavior analysts will need when interacting with AI systems, ensuring they can not only access information but do so with accuracy, precision, and adaptability.
Why “Knowing the Right Answer” Is No Longer Enough
The rise of AI means that students and professionals now have near-instant access to a wealth of information. While knowing foundational principles and interventions is still critical, future BCBAs will also need to master how to engage meaningfully with AI and other advanced technologies. This means developing skills in question framing, specifying relevant contingencies, and navigating through an iterative process to arrive at practical solutions.
The question is no longer whether behavior analysts should know the correct answers. Rather, the question is whether they have the skills to ask insightful questions, work through complex vignettes with depth, and apply behavior-analytic principles to ambiguous or layered situations. The BACB exam needs to reflect these demands.
Moving Beyond Basic Vignettes: Why We Need Real-World Depth
Currently, the BACB exam uses vignettes to test candidates’ skills, but these vignettes are often limited in complexity. For behavior analysts to be truly prepared for the dynamic challenges they’ll face, the exam should incorporate in-depth, multi-layered scenarios that require candidates to:
Identify Gaps and Ask Follow-Up Questions: Present scenarios that don’t contain all the necessary information upfront. This would test a candidate’s ability to pinpoint exactly what data is needed, mand for additional information, and shape the direction of an assessment with precision.
Navigate Complex Ethical and Technological Interactions: Candidates should be given situations that require interaction with AI or other technology, encouraging them to ask questions that ensure ethical and effective outcomes. For example, candidates might be tested on how to verify that an AI recommendation is socially valid, culturally appropriate, or in line with ethical standards.
Iterate Through Problem-Solving: Real-world situations often require back-and-forth problem-solving, rather than a one-time response. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to refine their approach based on new information, adapting their strategy through an iterative, exploratory process.
Emphasizing Mand Training: The Art of Asking the Right Questions
In behavior analysis, we know that effective communication often starts with mand training—teaching individuals to ask for what they need. In practice, this translates into guiding clients and caregivers, assessing environmental variables, and clarifying goals. The BACB exam should include scenarios that evaluate a candidate’s ability to mand effectively by formulating precise, meaningful questions.
For instance:
Scenario-Based Manding: Present candidates with incomplete or ambiguous scenarios and evaluate their ability to mand for essential details. For example, given a client profile with limited background information, the candidate should identify key areas for follow-up, such as developmental history, cultural factors, or relevant medical background.
Skill in Framing AI Interactions: Test candidates’ ability to interact with AI tools by having them ask specific, layered questions that refine the AI’s responses. The exam could assess their skill in modifying questions to get more accurate information and pinpointing exactly what it is they want to know.
Iterative Inquiry with Technology: Candidates should be assessed on their ability to engage in back-and-forth exchanges with AI or other resources, continuously refining their questions to arrive at a solution. This skill will be essential for working with AI in the field, where initial answers often need further clarification and specificity.
Why the BACB Exam Should Emphasize Critical Thinking with Technology
Behavior analysts working with AI must go beyond simple recall. They need to navigate AI’s limitations, understand its biases, and use it to enhance, not replace, human judgment. This requires practical inquiry, iterative questioning, and critical engagement with technology, skills that a revised BACB exam could prioritize.
What might this look like?
Technology-Enhanced Problem Solving: The exam could simulate AI interactions by presenting scenarios where candidates must work through hypothetical AI-generated suggestions, questioning their validity and adapting responses as needed.
Evaluating for Contextual Sensitivity: Technology, including AI, doesn’t “know” the context in the way a behavior analyst does. Exam questions should emphasize candidates’ ability to evaluate technological recommendations, ensuring they are contextually and culturally appropriate for the client.
Conclusion: Redefining Competence in the Age of AI
The BACB exam should reflect the competencies that behavior analysts need in an AI-enhanced world. Moving beyond basic vignettes and focusing on in-depth scenarios, manding, and technological interaction will ensure that future BCBAs are not only knowledgeable but adaptable, critical thinkers prepared to navigate real-world challenges.
In summary:
From Basic Vignettes to Complex, Iterative Scenarios: Testing should go deeper, presenting cases that require thoughtful manding, iterative questioning, and adaptation based on new information.
From Intraverbal Recall to Mand-Based Inquiry: Emphasize skills in question framing and effective manding over rote answers.
From Knowledge to Critical Thinking with Technology: Equip future BCBAs to interact with AI thoughtfully, ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces sound behavior-analytic practice.
Behavior analysts work in a dynamic environment, and the BACB exam must adapt to ensure our field remains rigorous and relevant in the age of AI. By shifting the focus toward practical inquiry, ethical judgment, and technology-based problem solving, the BACB can set a new standard for competence that prepares BCBAs for the future of behavior analysis.
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