DR. MAC’s
POSITIVE PARENTING PRACTICES
Post-Podcast Exam
Questions for each chapter are found below.
A link to the answer key is found at the bottom of this page.
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INTRODUCTION
1. Select the choice below that most accurately identifies an action plan:
a. Helps us to teach the behaviors that we would like to see our children display.
b. Is the opposite of "inaction plans".
c. Refers to the lines that we will say when the play's director shouts "Action!"
d. Should be approved by the person that it was developed to help.
2. Which of the following choices below most correctly identifies the correct application of directions?
a. Should be followed by a reward for compliance.
b. Be followed by a threat for non-compliance
c. Promote the display of the desired behaviors, reducing the need for future directions.
d. Include the word "Now" at the end.
3. We can reduce our need to exert our outer control over our children's behavior when:
a. When the schools start to do their job right.
b. They start to listen like they ought to do.
c. When the sitter comes over to watch them
d. We teach our children how to use inner control to guide their actions.
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4. Identify the choice below that most correctly identifies the definition of Positive Parenting Practices.
a. Based on scientific research and long-term evidence-based practice.
b. A bunch of new-age, wishy-washy, afraid-to-do-real-parenting crapola.
c. Pie-in-the-sky, unrealistic ideals that rarely work in the real world of parenting.
d. Sure to turn out a wild, undisciplined kid into the world.
5. The purpose of praise is to:
a. Enhance the chances of the child showing the appreciated behavior in the future.
b. Let the young one know that the activity has ended.
c. Impress other adults who are standing nearby and might notice our commentary.
d. Make nearby kids who are misbehaving feel bad for their poor behavior choices.
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BEHAVIOR 101
1. Which is NOT a MAJOR reason for why most individuals show certain behaviors?
a. Receiving a reward for showing the behavior.
b. Medical, biological or genetically based conditions.
c. The weather and/or phases of the moon.
d.Frustration in reaching a goal.
2. The behaviors that accompany conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and Autism:
a. Are inexplicable and do not respond to interventions.
b. Are "set in stone" & unchangeable due to how they have been rewarded in the past.
c. Are "set in stone" and unchangeable due to the nature of the disorder.
d. Can be changed for the better with positive behavior change procedures.
3. The behaviors that accompany mental health conditions such as schizophrenia depression, anxiety, and oppositional defiant disorder:
a. Only respond to medication. They do not respond to behavior change interventions.
b. Are receptive to behavior change interventions on the part of parents & others.
c.Can only be treated by psychotherapy ("talk therapy").
d. Are non-changeable characteristics of the thought disorders.
4. Just like in their children, change for the better in parents, (whose actions are not yet effective or positive):
a. Is easy to accomplish, but will not last.
b. Comes quickly and easily, and remains for life.
c. Is nearly impossible to build.
d. Takes persistence and dedication to the use of the new, more effective ways.
5. Parents should intervene in ______ways.
a. Assertive
b. Aggressive
c. Non-assertive
d. Magical
6. Persistent, consistent use of positive parenting practices increases the effectiveness of those practices.
a. True
b. False
c.Sometimes true & sometimes false.
d. Not enough information provided.
7. Assume that you've listened to the whole podcast and have been using the ideas mentioned here. A friend or spouse sees your change in approach, and tells you that you’re “too soft” in your response to your child’s sometimes inappropriate behavior. What response might you give to this person?
a. "OK. Let's create followers who blindly obey orders & can't think for themselves."
b. "You're right. I'll go back to using more of what already wasn't working."
c. "OK. I'll mistreat the chid that I love ."
d. "I'm not soft on behavior. I'm smart on behavior."
8. Making use of positive parenting practices:
a. Will create a spoiled child.
b. Results in nearly overnight positive change in children and youth.
c. Requires a Ph.D. and 12 full-time assistants.
d.Requires avoidance of harsh ways, & steadfast use of the powerful proven ways.
9. "Stockholm Syndrome" is when a person:
a. Engages in the actions that they disliked, taking on the traits of the oppressor.
b. Has an uncontrollable urge to listen to the 80's rock group named ABBA.
c. Puts on long underwear and straps on a pair of nordic skis
d. Laughs at the chef on the Muppet show.
10. To change the behavior pattern of a child, we must first:
a. Change our ways of acting and reacting.
b. Devise more punishing responses.
c. Send the child to a boarding school.
d. Learn how to look meaner.
11. Your ability to guide your child's behavior in a positive direction depends on all the following, EXCEPT:
a. Remembering & implementing practices used to guide you when you were a child.
b. Your ability to identify the influences upon your child's actions.
c. Your knowledge of effective positive parenting practices.
d.Your ability to proficiently implement effective positive parenting practices.
12. The most effective parenting style for creating well-behaved and well-adjusted kids is:
a. Aggressive
b. Assertive
c. Non-assertive
d. Expressive
13. Choose the answer below that correctly identifies the nature of following statement:
All behaviors, whether they are appropriate, inappropriate, or neutral in nature can be explained by the same set of behavior principles.
a. True statement.
b. False statement.
c. Statement does not apply to good parenting.
d. Statement is sometimes true & sometimes false.
14. The strongest influence on the development of a youngster's behavior pattern is:
a. Genetic makeup
b. The way that adults react to his/her behaviors.
c. Media (TV, video games, internet, etc.)
d. Exposure to educational experiences.
15. To "model" something, means to:
a. Copy, imitate, or emulate a behavior of another.
b. Mold behavior, as one might create something from modeling clay.
c. Create a complex behavior like one creates a multi-piece airplane or ship model.
d. Show exaggerated behavior with no facial emotion (like a runaway fashion model).
16. Choose the answer below that correctly identifies the nature of following statement:
Most parents have taken advantage of the widespread availability of training in positive parenting practices. The vast majority of parents are aware of proven practices and use them proficiently.
a. This is a true statement.
b. This is a false statement.
c. 60% of parents spend their time researching new parenting methods.
d. Parents don't need new parental training.
17. Choose the answer below that correctly identifies the nature of following statement:
By observing parental (re)actions to their child's behavior, it is often possible to determine why one child behaves well in most situations, while another exhibits an inappropriate pattern of behavior.
a. This is a true statement.
b. This is a false statement.
c. There is no scientific evidence to defend either answer.
d. Each of the answer choices has some validity.
18. Choose the answer below that correctly identifies the nature of following statement:
Many traditional childrearing practices have been found to be ineffective or counterproductive to raising moral, well-behaved children. Those practicesare best removed from measures used by parents. Overall, though, some have been proven useless or harmful. Others are supported by research.
a. This is a true statement.
b. This is a false statement.
c. Traditional ways haven't been researched.
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THE ABCs OF BEHAVIOR
1. The first step in understanding a behavior and why it happens is to:
a. Ask a friend.
b. Give the behavior a label or name.
c. Define the behavior by identifying the actions that are witnessed.
d. Get a college degree in child development.
2. The A in the A-B-C formula stands for:
a. Antecedent
b. Agreement
c. Anytime
d. Aftermath
3. A youngster receives a sticker (on the home refrigerator chart) for every time that he cleans up after his activities. The percentage of times that he cleans up after himself increases over time. The motivator for this improved responsibility for one’s actions was:
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. A combination of the two types of reinforcement
d. Punishment
4. You hear your (pre)adolescent child use a curse word that would make a Brooklyn longshoreman blush. You’re appalled when you consider that the word came from the same mouth that kisses you. What could possibly account for the use of the offensive term? What reasons for behavior might apply here?
a. That behavior is being positively reinforced.
b. That behavior is being negatively reinforced.
c. It could be promoted by either positive or negative reinforcement.
d. Just plain ornery!
5. The two year old child continues to pee and poop in the diaper despite reminders and being placed on the toilet when the parent suspects it is time. However, the child is not yet developmentally ready to be successful at toilet training.
The child has a:
a. Performance deficit
b. Skill deficit
c. Smelly diaper
d. Reinforced behavior
6. A pre-teenager leaves dirty dishes in his/her room instead of bringing them to the sink after eating snacks. This behavior reveals:
a. A performance deficit.
b. An impulsive kid.
c. A skill deficit.
d. The source of the ant problem.
7. Complete the formula for determining why a behavior occurs:
A-B-C =
a. Always Big Conflicts
b. The first 3 letters of the alphabet.
c. The same difficulty as 1-2-3
d. D
8. A youngster was “grounded” (not allowed to play/socialize outside) for 2 afternoons after school. She disliked it intensely. It was embarrassing to have to tell her peers, rumors spread through the school, and she missed her social connections after the school day was done.
From that day forth, she complied with her parents directions when they threatened another “grounding” if she failed to do so. At that point, she used respectful and deferential language toward them (even when she was thinking other words in her mind). Her restrained actions are a result of:
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Combination of the two types of reinforcement
d. Punishment
9. After being belittled by the parent for failing to kick the ball correctly, the youngster offers excuses to the parent on other days for why she/he can’t go out in the front yard again to practice kicking. The excuses are maintained by:
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Punishment
d. Ignoring
10. A child is confronted by an angry parent about the broken vase. The child claims innocence, saying that he was in another part of the house playing video games since the family returned home from the diner. (In actuality, he broke the vase on the way to the room where he is playing video games.)
The falsehood works, as the parent says: "I'm going to talk with that older sister of yours when she gets home. I'll teach her to not run away after she breaks things." Telling mistruths has been:
a. Positively reinforced
b. Negatively reinforced
c. Ignored
d. Punished
11. One child at the table is being poked by another. She/he dislikes this physical contact, but fails to issue any sort of “cease and desist” movements or words.
How might negative reinforcement be involved in the above situation?
a. Accepting the poke might prevent harsher physical contact later.
b. Allowing the poking to continue brings a negative feeling.
c. The kid doing the poking gets enjoyment from this negative behavior.
d. Ignoring the poking eliminates positive reinforcement.
12. First, address the situation in which one child is using a finger to poke another. Then answer this question:
The next day, after receiving instruction from his parent, about what to do when he is being poked, he moves the chair out of reach of the prodding finger. The "scooching away" (moving away) action that distances him from the hurtful probe is:
a. Positively reinforced
b. Negatively reinforced
c. Punished
d. An example of ignoring the poking finger.
13. Finish the sentence: "Taking note of "contextual cues…" (The other things that are happening before, during and after a child's behavior):
a. Adds false "facts" that prevent "decoding" of the real reasons behind the behavior."
b. Distracts us from focusing on the behavior."
c. Helps us to understand the driving force & the reason behind the behavior."
d. Is nosy and rude."
14. If a youngster is able to do something (wash self in the tub, make a morning breakfast of cold cereal and milk, take out the garbage on the correct days), but doesn't do it, the failure is called a _____ deficit.
a. performance
b. skill
c. budget
d. knowledge
15. When discussing behaviors and the consequences that strengthen or change them, the terms "punishment" and "negative reinforcement” are synonymous (mean the same thing).
a. True
b. False
c. Only when talking about undesirable behaviors
d. Only when talking about desirable behaviors.
16. A person showed a behavior that helped him/her escape a situation in which s/he didn't want to be involved. That behavior was:
a. Positively reinforced.
b. Negatively reinforced.
c. The action of a person who needs to quit being so fearful.
d. The trademark of Houdini.
17. A youngster studies long and hard in order to AVOID failure on the exam. S/he is seeking which type of reinforcement?
a. Positive
b. Negative
c. Neutral
d. Rewarding
18. If someone's behavior results in him/her getting what s/he wants, that action has been:
a. Positively reinforced
b. Negatively reinforced
c. Selfish
d. Manipulative
19. A youngster studies long and hard in order to achieve a high passing grade. S/he is seeking which type of reinforcement?
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Neutral reinforcement
d. Social reinforcement
20. As we prepare to investigate the reasons behind the display of a behavior by a child, it is important to:
a. Prepare oneself for the possibility of strong failure in our attempt to change the behavior.
b. Give the behavior a label that identifies it well.
c. Clear the mind of all memories of when & how this behavior was shown in the past.
d. Define the behavior in specific terms, describing the actions that were witnessed.
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BEYOND THE ABCs
1. All we need to know about behavior is:
a. We can influence behavior by how we respond to it.
b. Actions followed by rewards are more likely to happen again.
c. Actions followed by punishments are less likely to occur in the future.
d. All of the answers found above are important points when it comes to understanding behavior.
2. Our greatest human (psychological) need is:
a. Different from person to person.
b. To be able to watch our favorite TV program.
c. To understand one's world fully and completely with no questions remaining.
d. To "belong". To be emotionally connected to others.
3. When first attempting to build a better, replacement behavior (for the action that is shown at present by the child), it is important to reinforce/reward that behavior:
a. Each and every time that it is displayed by the child.
b. Every third time that the behavior is shown by the child.
c. On an unpredictable (to the child) schedule.
d. Only after it has become the ingrained & stronger response in that situation.
4. Influences and factors that affect the likelihood of a behavior of another being imitated (modeled) include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. The status of the model in the mind of the child.
b. Witnessing the model getting reinforced for showing the behavior.
c. Whether the behavior was viewed by the child in real-life or on video.
d. The ability of the child to imitate the behavior to a level that will bring a reward.
5. When another parent says "Why does my child keep doing that?",you know that the reason is:
a. The parent is not strict enough in disciplining the child.
b. The lack of supervision on the part of the parent.
c. The youngster actually likes to be punished.
d. It brings a benefit.
6. In order for the youngster to want to adopt the new behavior, it (the new action) must:
a. Meet the same need as the present behavior to a greater degree.
b. Be rewarded with food.
c. Be rewarded with money.
d. Be fun.
7. A child is more likely to display a new behavior that you have been promoting if:
a. You label the child "bad" when she/he displays the old behavior.
b. Brings the same amount of reward as the old behavior.
c. You talk negatively about the old behavior
d. It meets the same need as the old behavior.
8. You have built a new behavior response in your child via regularity and predictability in your reinforcement of it. Which "schedule of reinforcement" (rewards) is the most powerful one for keeping the new behavior going... for maintaining the display of that action?
a. The sporadic, unpredictable, you-never-know-when obtaining of a reward.
b. Obtaining a reward every time that the behavior is shown.
c. Obtaining a reward every-other-time a behavior is displayed.
d. All of these choices.
9. Once a behavior has been "built", and is easily displayed by the child, it is time to put the action on a schedule in which reinforcement/reward/praise is given:
a. Each and every time that the behavior is displayed.
b. On a fixed and predictable schedule of every 3rd or 4th time.
c. On a sporadic, unpredictable, they-never-know when basis.
d. Rarely, if ever.
10. A parent finds that the child is more likely to follow a direction that might not be enjoyable, if she/he first gives a direction that the youngster does enjoy following. ("Give me a high five.", "Take this pretzel.")
The parent has discovered the impact of:
a. Setting events.
b. Bribery.
c. Deception.
d. All of these!
11. If a child has a "skill deficit", how to we get rid of it?
a. Punish the unacceptable behavior when it appears.
b. Have him/her practice the behavior we wish to see.
c. Ignore the skill deficit when it presents itself.
d. Turn it into a "performance deficit".
12. People are "modeling" the behaviors of others when they: