The transfer of C<sub>rel</sub> contextual control (same, opposite, less than, more than) through equivalence relations
Once relational cues are inside equivalence classes, they keep their "same/opposite/more/less" power with new stimuli—so you can build bigger concept networks faster.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Perez et al. (2017) asked: if you teach someone that certain cues mean "same," "opposite," "more," or "less," will those cues still work when they are linked to brand-new pictures through equivalence training?
They ran two small lab experiments with college students. First they trained four abstract shapes to work like traffic signs for relations. Then they built three-member equivalence classes that included those shapes. Finally they tested whether the cues controlled choosing "same," "opposite," "more," or "less" even when the cues appeared with totally new pictures.
What they found
Every participant showed the transfer effect. Once a cue was part of an equivalence class, it kept its relational power even when paired with new stimuli the person had never seen before.
In plain words: the "same" cue still meant "same," the "opposite" cue still meant "opposite," and so on, no matter what pictures showed up.
How this fits with other research
Cullinan et al. (2001) first proved that abstract same/different cues can create equivalence in the first place. Perez et al. take the next step: once those cues exist, they travel through equivalence to new stimuli.
Lalli et al. (1995) showed that people can derive untrained "more-than/less-than" relations. This paper adds that the contextual cues that govern those relations can also be transferred without extra teaching.
Dixon et al. (2021) later showed kids with autism can do similar derived relational responding under PEAK-E training. Perez et al. supply the lab model for why the cues you train in PEAK might keep working when new stimuli appear.
Why it matters
If you teach a learner that a blue card means "same" and a red card means "opposite," you can now trust those cards to work even after you link them to new concepts through equivalence. That saves teaching time. You can embed the cues in bigger equivalence networks—colors, numbers, emotions—and the relational control should stick. Try it next session: after your learner masters a few equivalence classes that include your "same" cue, probe the cue with completely new pictures. You may find the relational response appears right away, no extra training needed.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick your trained "same" or "opposite" cue, pair it with three new pictures in a simple match-to-sample test, and check if the relational response emerges without extra teaching.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
According to Relational Frame Theory (RFT) Crel denotes a contextual stimulus that controls a particular type of relational response (sameness, opposition, comparative, temporal, hierarchical etc.) in a given situation. Previous studies suggest that contextual functions may be indirectly acquired via transfer of function. The present study investigated the transfer of Crel contextual control through equivalence relations. Experiment 1 evaluated the transfer of Crel contextual functions for relational responses based on sameness and opposition. Experiment 2 extended these findings by evaluating transfer of function using comparative Crel stimuli. Both experiments followed a similar sequence of phases. First, abstract forms were established as Crel stimuli via multiple exemplar training (Phase 1). The contextual cues were then applied to establish arbitrary relations among nonsense words and to test derived relations (Phase 2). After that, equivalence relations involving the original Crel stimuli and other abstract forms were trained and tested (Phase 3). Transfer of function was evaluated by replacing the directly established Crel stimuli with their equivalent stimuli in the former experimental tasks (Phases 1 and 2). Results from both experiments suggest that Crel contextual control may be extended via equivalence relations, allowing other arbitrarily related stimuli to indirectly acquire Crel functions and regulate behavior by evoking appropriate relational responses in the presence of both previously known and novel stimuli.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2017 · doi:10.1002/jeab.284