When providing prompts during testing, what is the acceptable practice according to behavior analysis principles?

When testing individuals, it is essential to maintain the integrity and consistency of the learning process. The best practice involves ensuring that prompts are consistent with the teaching methods that were previously utilized. This approach aligns with behavior analysis principles, which emphasize the importance of maintaining consistency in interventions and assessments to accurately gauge a learner's progress and understanding.

By using prompts that reflect the original teaching strategies, you create a familiar context for the learner, which can help reduce confusion and anxiety during the testing process. Consistency in prompting fosters a clearer understanding of what is being asked and allows for a more valid assessment of the individual’s abilities and knowledge, as it directly relates to their experiences during learning.

The other options compromise either the assessment or the integrity of the instructional approach. Providing multiple prompts for each question may lead to an over-reliance on prompts and not accurately measure the learner's independent skills. Offering different instructions than what was used in teaching can confuse the learner and result in inaccurate evaluations of their true understanding. Similarly, allowing prompts only after incorrect responses can inhibit the opportunity for learners to demonstrate their knowledge effectively when they may have the correct answer but struggle momentarily.