C.6 · Behavior Acquisition

Discrimination training

Review how discrimination training links the correct response to a relevant cue and its programmed consequence. Shape-selection examples show how planned changes in position, color and size help check which features guide responding.

Task C.6: Apply discrimination training

Useful foundations: C.1: Positive and negative reinforcement

The rule

Discrimination teaching builds responding in the presence of the relevant cue, while avoiding reinforcement of responses to the wrong cue.

Identify which feature should guide the response. Stimulus control means responding in relation to that relevant cue through learning. Use planned changes in position and examples to assess which features guide the learner.

Key terms
Stimulus control
A response occurs reliably in relation to the relevant cue because of its learning history.
Discriminative stimulus (SD)
A cue associated with reinforcement being available for a particular response.

What to look for

DistinctionLook forHow to decide
Relevant stimulusThe cue signaling which response will be reinforcedIdentify the intended stimulus–response relation.
Correct versus incorrectResponse matches the current cueDeliver the programmed consequence for that category.
GeneralizationNew examples retain the relevant featureFollow planned variations without changing the target relation.

Worked examples

Relevant cue

Check whether shape guides the choice

The instruction is “Touch the triangle.” A triangle appears on the left for several trials and a circle on the right. The plan then swaps their positions. The learner again touches the left item, now the circle.

Relevant facts

  • The instruction makes shape the relevant feature.
  • The selected item after the swap is a circle.

Record an incorrect response and use the planned correction.

Instruction: triangle → selected: circle → incorrect

Changing the position helps reveal whether the learner is following shape or location. Use performance across the planned variations to assess stimulus control.

New examples

Keep the defining feature

A supervisor’s generalization sequence presents a small blue triangle, then a large yellow triangle, among nontriangle shapes. The learner selects the triangle after “Touch the triangle” with each example.

Relevant facts

  • Color and size vary.
  • The requested shape remains a triangle.

These responses support the shape discrimination across the tested examples.

Different colors and sizes; same requested shape

The learner succeeds with the tested cards. Continue the planned sampling to assess performance with additional examples.

What changes the answer?

Keep the learner’s touch on the left item; change the array.

  • The instruction remains “Touch the triangle.”

The triangle is on the left.

Correct selection.

The selected item matches the cue.

The circle is on the left.

Incorrect selection.

Score the response according to the shape named in the instruction.

Score how the response relates to the intended cue.

Remember

  • Ask what should control the response.
  • Vary irrelevant features only as the teaching plan specifies.
Sources for this topic

Reviewed 2026-09-30 · C.6 version 3.