Comprehensive Study Guide on Stimulus and Response Generalization
Stimulus Generalization Overview
Stimulus generalization occurs when a student learns to emit the same target response when presented with varied antecedent stimuli.
The four key operational dimensions of stimulus generalization are:
Varied materials
Varied instructions
Varied locations
Varied people
Step 1: Teaching with Varied Materials
Core Objective: Teach the student to use the exact same target response across a wide range of instructional materials.
Example Target Skill: Labeling a dog.
Instructional Steps & Material Examples:
Picture of a Dog:
Teacher Prompt: "Cindy, what's this?"
Student Response: "A dog."
Toy Dog:
Teacher Prompt: "Dog?", "What's that?"
Student Response: "Toy dog."
Puzzle Piece of a Dog:
Teacher Prompt: "What's that?"
Student Response: "A puzzle piece of a dog."
Teacher Feedback: "Nice work. Good sting dog."
Video of a Dog:
Teacher Prompt: "What's that?"
Student Response: "And a video of a dog."
Teacher Feedback: "Good. Right? That's my dog, Roxy." / "That's my dog, Moxie."
Testing Protocol for Material Generalization:
Periodically test the student using brand-new materials relevant to the target skill (e.g., a game piece of a dog).
Test Prompt: "What's that?"
Critical Testing Rule: Do not prompt the student's response and do not reinforce the student's response on test items.
Maintaining Student Motivation During Testing:
Ask the student for a response they already know (e.g., matching items: "And here, can you match the next one?").
Provide immediate reinforcement for correct responses on these known tasks ("Good, Timmy. Nice work.").
Step 2: Teaching with Varied Instructions
Core Objective: Teach the student to emit the target response when presented with varied verbal directives or prompts.
Example Target Skill: Identifying animals (specifically, a turkey).
Instructional Steps & Instruction Variations:
Directive Instruction ("Point to"):
Teacher Directive: "Point to the turkey" / "Nanny, point to the turkey."
Student Action: Points to the turkey.
Teacher Feedback: "Good. That's it."
Question Format ("Which one?"):
Teacher Question: "Which one's the turkey?"
Student Action: Selects the turkey.
Teacher Feedback: "Yeah. Nice job. You got…"
Any additional relevant instructions for the skill can also be incorporated.
Testing Protocol for Instruction Generalization:
Periodically test the student using new, novel instructions (e.g., "Find the turkey").
Critical Testing Rule: Do not prompt and do not reinforce the student's response during testing.
Maintaining Student Motivation During Testing:
Present a few instructions the student has already mastered (e.g., motor imitation like clapping: "Okay. You clap again.").
Provide enthusiastic praise and reinforcement for those mastered responses ("Great. I love how you did that. You get bubbles.").
Step 3: Teaching with Varied Locations
Core Objective: Teach the student to perform the target response across diverse physical environments.
Example Target Skill: Labeling an action ("waving").
Instructional Steps & Environmental Locations:
On the Floor:
Teacher Prompt: "What am I doing? Say waving."
Student Response: "Waving."
Teacher Feedback: "Perfect. What am I doing? Waving. Excellent job, buddy."
At the Desk:
Teacher Prompt: "What am I doing? Say waving."
Student Response: "Waving."
Teacher Feedback: "Perfect."
On Beanbags:
Teacher Prompt: "What am I doing?"
Student Response: "Wee." / "Waving."
Teacher Feedback: "That's right."
Additional natural environments relevant to the skill can be utilized for training.
Testing Protocol for Location Generalization:
Periodically test the student in novel locations (e.g., at the table).
Test Prompt: Action prompt ("Raven").
Critical Testing Rule: Do not prompt and do not reinforce the student's response in the test setting.
Maintaining Student Motivation During Testing:
Present several instructions the student already knows (e.g., naming body parts: "What's this? No." / "And what's this? Yeah.").
Reinforce correct responses on those known instructions ("Yeah. Nice job, buddy.").
Step 4: Teaching with Varied People
Core Objective: Promote stimulus generalization by involving multiple instructors and individuals to teach the target skill.
Example Target Skill: Completing a puzzle.
Instructional Steps:
Instructor Directive: "Let's do a puzzle, okay? Oh, you are the mess. Don't do it. Do your puzzle."
Student Action: Completes puzzle task.
Feedback: "Manny, you did your puzzle."
Testing Protocol for People Generalization:
Periodically test the target skill with unfamiliar people who have not previously taught the skill.
Novel Tester Directive: "Manny, do the puzzle."
Critical Testing Rule: Do not prompt and do not reinforce the student's response when tested by a new person.
Maintaining Student Motivation During Testing:
Ask for a few mastered responses (e.g., "Clap hands").
Reinforce those mastered responses immediately ("Nice job, buddy.").
Summary Criteria for Complete Stimulus Generalization
A student's skills are officially generalized when they reliably emit the target response across all four components:
When presented with varied materials.
When presented with varied instructions.
When tested in varied locations.
When interacting with varied people.
Helpful Hints: Incidental Teaching
Definition: Using naturally occurring situations to teach and facilitate skill generalization.
Procedure for Incidental Teaching:
Interrupt the student's preferred activity.
Prompt a related communicative or functional response (e.g., "Say, turn it on. I can't hear.").
When the student delivers the correct response, immediately allow them to continue their preferred activity (e.g., "Sure. I'll turn it on. They say turn it on.").
Response Generalization
Core Objective: Teach the student to produce a variety of different responses to the exact same antecedent stimulus.
Example Target Stimulus: Social greeting prompt ("Hi, Dennis").
Target Response Variations Taught:
Response 1 ("Hello"):
Teacher Prompt: "Hi, Dennis. Say hello."
Student Response: "Hello."
Teacher Feedback: "Good."
Response 2 ("Hi, Lynn"):
Teacher Prompt: "Hi, Dennis. You say, hi, Lynn."
Student Response: "Hi, Lynn."
Teacher Feedback: "There you go. That's good."
Response 3 ("Hey, Lynn"):
Teacher Prompt: "And hey." / "Hi, Dennis."
Student Response: "Hey Lynn!"
Teacher Feedback: "Good!"
Outcome Criterion: Response generalization has occurred when the student reliably responds correctly to the same stimulus using a variety of functional verbal topographies.