Which statement best reflects strategies to promote generalization across settings?

Which statement best reflects strategies to promote generalization across settings?

• A. Practice should be limited to the target setting to avoid confusion.
• B. Generalization across settings is promoted by practicing only in the target setting.
• C. Generalization across settings is promoted by training across multiple settings, varying instructions, and programming common stimuli.
• D. Generalization is achieved by removing all reinforcement in training settings.

Answer: (C)

Generalization across settings is promoted by training across multiple settings, varying instructions, and programming common stimuli. When a skill is learned in only one place with one person and a single cue, the behavior often stays tied to that specific context. Training in diverse environments with different people and prompts helps the learner apply the skill more broadly. Varying the instructions ensures the learner can respond correctly under different cues, while programming common stimuli—keeping certain cues, materials, or antecedents consistent across settings—helps the learner recognize when the skill should be used, even in new environments. Limiting practice to one setting or practicing only in the target setting narrows stimulus control and makes generalization harder. Removing reinforcement in training undermines learning and reduces the likelihood that the behavior will appear in new contexts.

Generalization across settings is promoted by training across multiple settings, varying instructions, and programming common stimuli. When a skill is learned in only one place with one person and a single cue, the behavior often stays tied to that specific context. Training in diverse environments with different people and prompts helps the learner apply the skill more broadly. Varying the instructions ensures the learner can respond correctly under different cues, while programming common stimuli—keeping certain cues, materials, or antecedents consistent across settings—helps the learner recognize when the skill should be used, even in new environments.

Limiting practice to one setting or practicing only in the target setting narrows stimulus control and makes generalization harder. Removing reinforcement in training undermines learning and reduces the likelihood that the behavior will appear in new contexts.