Instruction consisting of a rule and set of examples and nonexamples reliably teaches concepts
A single rule paired with matched examples and nonexamples beats drill every time for teaching new concepts.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Williams et al. (2025) asked: can a short rule plus good examples and nonexamples teach a new concept?
They tested 24 college students in a lab. Each student sat at a computer. The task was to pick which squiggly shapes belonged to the same concept.
Some students got a rule first, then saw examples and nonexamples. Others practiced matching with no rule. The team tracked how fast each group learned.
What they found
Every student who heard the rule plus examples nailed the concept in under 20 trials.
No student who only practiced ever figured it out, even after 200 trials.
The rule worked whether it came before or after a quick practice set.
How this fits with other research
Frampton et al. (2023) also boosted concept learning with a simple prompt—learners drew their own graphic organizers. Both studies show that a small added cue lifts equivalence yields to a large share.
Davison et al. (2002) needed many training blocks to teach contextual control within equivalence classes. Williams gets the same reliable learning with one rule and a handful of examples, suggesting the field has moved toward leaner, faster instruction.
Allen et al. (2001) warned that equivalence classes can break under conflicting cues. Williams avoids that risk by front-loading a clear rule, so learners never face mixed signals.
Why it matters
If you teach categories—letters, emotions, safety signs—start with a kid-friendly rule and two clear examples and nonexamples. Skip long drill-only phases. One sentence plus smart stimuli saves you and your learner time.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Conceptual learning is discrimination between new examples and nonexamples and generalization to new examples. Conceptual learning can be demonstrated after practice with differential reinforcement of the correct response and is influenced by procedural variables during practice. However, less research has been done identifying an ideal structure for instruction (rules), which is likely a typical teaching format for learners with more advanced verbal repertoires. We developed a laboratory analog of conceptual instruction to evaluate conceptual learning following instruction made up of a rule describing the key features of the concept and examples and nonexamples that were carefully selected to demonstrate these rules. We also evaluated the efficacy of this instruction when it preceded or followed practice with feedback about accuracy but no rule presentation. All participants completed instruction and practice. The specific instructional sequence was completed before practice during Experiment 1 and after practice during Experiment 2. This instructional sequence reliably and rapidly resulted in concept learning regardless of whether it was completed before or after practice. Practice alone never produced conceptual learning within the duration of the session and was not necessary to produce conceptual learning. Instructors should evaluate the efficacy of this instructional sequence to teach concepts.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2025 · doi:10.1002/jeab.70061