Which term best describes a reliable link between antecedent manipulation and behavior change?

• A. Valence of Behavior
• B. Stimulus Generalization
• C. Functional Relation
• D. DRA

Answer: (C)

A functional relation describes a reliable, reproducible link between manipulating an antecedent and observing a change in behavior. In ABA, you demonstrate this by showing that when the antecedent condition is present (or the contingency is applied), the target behavior changes in a predictable direction, and that the change occurs consistently across repeated trials and often across settings. This shows experimental control—the manipulated antecedent is causally influencing the behavior, not other factors. The other terms don’t capture this causal, replicable link: valence of behavior refers to how pleasant or aversive the outcome is, stimulus generalization concerns the spread of a learned response to similar stimuli, and DRA is a specific reinforcement procedure to increase an alternative behavior, not the general principle of a reliable antecedent-behavior relationship.