C.8 · Behavior Acquisition

Generalization across people, settings and materials

Review how a supervisor’s generalization plan varies people, materials or settings while preserving the target skill. Examples show how observed independence and any extra prompts limit what each check establishes.

Task C.8: Apply generalization procedures across settings, people, and stimuli

Useful foundations: C.6: Discrimination training

The rule

Generalization means a learned response occurs with relevant new people, materials or settings. Arrange and measure that transfer through the supervisor’s plan.

Preserve the skill’s defining relation while varying nonessential features. Follow the supervisor’s plan for teaching and for checks without extra prompts.

Key terms
Generalization
A learned skill occurs under relevant new conditions beyond those directly taught.

What to look for

DistinctionLook forHow to decide
VariationNew people, materials or settingsVary the features named in the plan.
Stable targetThe same functional skill and response criterionKeep the defining skill relation consistent across the planned new conditions.
Evidence of transferObserved performance in new conditionsRecord actual independence and context.

Worked examples

Across materials

A different cup is a useful test

A learner independently requests water from a familiar bottle. A planned generalization check uses a cup at the snack table, with water available and the same accepted request. The learner requests water without a prompt.

Relevant facts

  • The container changes.
  • The communication function and response criterion stay the same.

Record an independent request in the new material condition.

Bottle practice → cup check → independent water request

This result supports transfer to the tested cup condition. Checks with other settings and communication partners would assess the reach of that transfer.

Across people

Help changes what the check shows

The learner requests help independently from the usual RBT. During a planned check with another staff member, the learner does not request until the usual RBT whispers, “Say help.”

Relevant facts

  • The communication partner is new.
  • An extra verbal prompt precedes the request.

Record the prompted response and the departure from the check procedure.

New partner + whispered cue → prompted request

The request followed a whispered prompt. Report the help used so the supervisor can plan further teaching and checks of independent transfer.

What changes the answer?

Use the new staff member again; change whether help is added.

  • The same opportunity to request help is present.

The learner requests without a prompt.

Evidence of independent transfer to this partner.

The response occurs in the new condition.

The learner requests only after a whispered cue.

The request succeeds with a whispered prompt.

The extra help is decision-relevant.

Measure the learner’s response and the help used when checking performance with a new person or in a new setting.

Remember

  • Change the context, preserve the target, and measure the result.
  • Name the conditions in which the learner demonstrated the skill.
Sources for this topic

Reviewed 2026-09-30 · C.8 version 3.