Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The phenomenon that describes placing a less likely request at the end of more likely requests is accurately identified as the Premack principle. This principle is grounded in the idea that more probable behaviors can reinforce less probable behaviors. By first asking for tasks or requests that are more likely to be completed successfully, an individual experiences success and is then more likely to engage in the less probable request (the one placed at the end).

This strategy capitalizes on the motivation derived from completing easier tasks, which in turn sets a positive stage for the more challenging task, making it more likely to be accepted and completed. This technique is particularly effective in behavior modification and can be used to gradually lead an individual toward a less desirable activity through the successful completion of more enjoyable tasks.

Other options like behavior shaping, token economy, and modeling describe different behavioral strategies that do not specifically pertain to the arrangement of requests based on likelihood. Behavior shaping focuses on reinforcing progressive approximations toward a desired behavior. A token economy involves the use of tokens as reinforcement for desirable behaviors, which is not relevant to the specific sequence of requests. Modeling refers to demonstrating behaviors for others to observe and imitate, which is distinct from the structure of requests in this context.