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Behavior Analysis

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Doctoral Qualifying Examinations

(October, 2002)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the qualifying examination (prelims) is to evaluate the student's qualification to pursue a doctoral degree in the Behavior Analysis Program at West Virginia University. Specifically, the prelims are designed to assess the student's knowledge of behavior analysis and the ability to solve problems in this area.

A secondary purpose of the examination is to provide an opportunity for the student to organize and integrate information from a variety of sources. In this sense prelims may be regarded as a learning experience; however, they are not intended as a supplement for course work or other training.

General Procedure

There are two parts to the examination. One is a research proposal in either the basic or applied area; the other is a conceptual analysis.

Time of occurrence. Prelims may be taken any time between August 15 and May 1 and in any order, after the thesis prospectus has been approved by the student's thesis committee. Prelims must be completed by September 30 of the seventh semester for students entering the program with a bachelor's degree and by September 30 of the fifth semester for students entering with a master's degree. Students not completing prelims by this time will be placed on probation by the Behavior Analysis Training Committee (BATC). Prior to such probation, the BATC will consider extenuating circumstances and a final deadline for the student's first attempt at prelims will be established. Both parts of the exam, including revisions or retakes, must be completed by December 15 of the seventh semester for students entering the program with a Bachelor's degree and by December 15 of the fifth semester for students entering with a Master's degree. Failure to do so constitutes grounds for dismissal from the program on the basis of unsatisfactory progress.

Committee selection. Students must notify the area coordinator of the time at which they plan to take prelims. If they wish to take them at the beginning of the Fall semester, they must notify the coordinator by the end of the Spring semester. On notification, the area coordinator will assemble a three-member committee to administer and grade the exam. Students will select two members of this committee; a third member will be selected by the area coordinator. The area coordinator also will appoint one of the members to be chair. At least two members of the committee must be primary members of the Behavior Analysis Committee. Different committees may be assembled for the two prelims. Students should inform the committee at the time of their selection whether the research prelim is to be in the basic or applied area.

Format. Both prelims will be prepared with access to reading materials over a seven-day period. The work is to be done independently of faculty and other graduate students; however, students may ask the chair of the committee to clarify the questions. The papers should be in APA Publication Manual (current edition) format including an abstract of 150 words or less. Each examination should be at least 10 and no more than 12 typed double-spaced pages of text (10 - 12 point; 1 inch margins) not counting the Title Page, Abstract, Figures, Tables, Figure Captions and References. The title page should include the question being answered.  A hard copy of the final document is to be given to each member of the prelim committee.

Part I: Research Proposal

Rationale. This exam requires that the student develop a research proposal, in either a basic or applied area, as requested by the student, that (a) addresses both theoretical and methodological issues in the problem area and (b) has the potential to advance the understanding of the topic under investigation.

Content. The proposal should include relevant background literature (theoretical and/or empirical), a statement of the problem, instrumentation, experimental design, methods of evaluation, data analysis, and expected results. Additional information such as ethical considerations, subject selection, setting, etc., may be necessary in applied proposals. Proposals need not include lengthy subject and apparatus sections. These sections can be combined into a single section in which these two topics are described in general terms.

Topic selection. A choice of two topics will be provided by the prelim committee (click here for examples). These topics will not include a student's thesis or probable dissertation topic. In addition, the committee may further define either or both topics by indicating sub-topics, (e.g., inhibitory stimulus control as a subtopic of discrimination and generalization).

Evaluation criteria. The proposal will be graded on the significance of the problem addressed, the importance and relevance of the literature cited, strength of rationale, soundness of experimental design, creativity, feasibility, clarity, and writing style.

Part II: Conceptual Analysis

Rationale. This exam will assess the student's ability to provide or extend a conceptual analysis of psychological issues from a behavior-analytic perspective.

Content. The objective of the paper is to make an original contribution to a conceptual understanding of the topic addressed. The paper may propose some concrete action, but the emphasis should be on conceptual understanding; therefore, empirical aspects of the issue should not constitute a focus for the answer. Although the paper should include references to appropriate literature, the major focus of the paper is to be an original analysis. Literature from applied and experimental areas may be included, but such literature must be related by the student to a conceptual understanding of the topic addressed.

Topic selection. The student is given a choice of two questions. Click here for some examples of conceptual questions.

Evaluation criteria. The prelim will be graded on the basis of how well the answer reflects the student's understanding of a behavior analytic perspective and on the student's problem-solving skills. A satisfactory answer must reflect the ability to target important issues, to criticize logically the positions taken by others, and to understand general issues in psychology and how they relate to behavior analysis. Furthermore, the paper must not misrepresent existing theoretical work nor contradict empirical work. Problem solving includes appropriate allocation of the available time to the various steps involved. These steps include searching for what is already known, generating ideas, evaluating the ideas selected, and presenting the best ideas. The strength of the analysis, therefore, will reflect how well students have allocated their time. Other criteria will be the logic, creativity, clarity, and organization of the paper.

Evaluation Procedures

Grading. Each member of the prelim committee will evaluate the prelim independently as to whether it is a failure, a conditional pass, a pass, or a pass with distinction. The level of passage or a failure will be determined by consensus of the committee members.

Feedback. Notification of performance on the prelims will be available within three weeks, provided that the prelim is taken at least three weeks before the end of a regular semester. Performance evaluated as a pass will result in a memo to the student from the chair of the committee. A copy will be placed in the student's file.

Performance evaluated as a conditional pass ordinarily is characterized by a relatively small number of specific flaws. Under these conditions, written feedback concerning which issues were not addressed or were inadequately addressed will be provided. However, feedback will be designed to provide general direction and will not be so specific as to solve the problem for the student. A copy of this feedback will be kept by the committee chair and will be placed in the student's file only if the student fails the revision and a second attempt.

When performance is evaluated as a failure, more detailed written feedback concerning which issues were not addressed or were inadequately addressed will be provided. In the case of a failure the committee may wish to reserve comment on each specific error made and, instead, address only the major problems with the prelim attempt. The committee also may make suggestions on how the student might remediate apparent deficits. A copy of this feedback will be kept by the committee chair and will be placed in the student's file only if the student fails the second attempt.

Consequences for Conditional Pass or Failure

Conditional Pass. A conditional pass requires a revision of the prelim along the lines of the feedback provided. The committee will negotiate a time period (no longer than three weeks and typically one week) within which a revision is to take place. A conditional pass on a revision will constitute a failure of the prelim. If it is the first failure, revisions will be administered and graded by the same committee as was assembled for the first attempt.

Failure. A failure on the first attempt of each prelim requires a retake of the prelim. Retakes will be administered and graded by the same committee as was assembled for the first attempt. If a student fails the first prelim attempted, the retake of that prelim must be completed prior to attempting the second prelim.

Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy/Rejection after Failing Prelims

Admission. Admission to doctoral candidacy requires satisfactory completion of all requirements for the M.A. degree, passing the doctoral degree qualifying examination, a record of satisfactory course work and grades, a record of satisfactory performance of professional duties (e.g., as a teaching assistant), a record of satisfactory involvement in research beyond that required for the M.A. thesis, completion of the ethics competency, and a record of professional behavior in keeping with the ethical code of the American Psychological Association.

Rejection. Two failures of either of the prelims will result in a recommendation to deny candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Should this occur, a review of the first and second attempts on the failed prelim will be conducted by the BATC. Upon completion of this review, a final decision regarding termination from the doctoral degree program will be made by vote of the Primary and Secondary faculty members of the BATC. Student Representatives of the committee will not participate in the discussion or vote on this issue. The decision of the BATC will then be conveyed to the Department Chair.

Students will be notified, in writing, of a decision to terminate their continuance in the doctoral degree program. If a student has not yet completed the M.A. degree, but fails either part of the prelim twice, the student will be allowed to continue in the program as an M.A. degree candidate so long as grades and progress toward the M.A. degree are regarded as satisfactory by the BATC. Students wishing to appeal the termination decision may do so to the Department Chair.