Translational evaluation of training structures in equivalence‐based instruction
Teach one sample to many comparisons (OTM) to finish equivalence lessons faster with the same learning gains.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked: can we teach the same concept with fewer trials? They split 24 college students into three groups. One group got the full lesson. The other two got equivalence training shaped like a tree (OTM) or a chain (LS).
All students learned to match made-up shapes to their printed names and functions. The shapes had no meaning, so only the training structure differed.
What they found
The tree-shaped (OTM) group needed a large share fewer trials yet scored just as high on the final test. The chain-shaped (LS) group used the same number of trials as the full lesson and did no better.
In plain words: teach one sample to many comparisons and you save time without hurting learning.
How this fits with other research
Fienup et al. (2017) also ran equivalence lab classes with college kids. They showed that tightening the mastery rule to 12 trials helps no matter the rule style. Oliveira adds: once the rule is set, choose OTM to cut trials further.
O’Connor et al. (2020) moved the same logic into an autism clinic. Kids learned to link people and emotions through equivalence. The lab finding now helps real social skills.
Vladescu et al. (2021) asked a similar efficiency question in discrete-trial tact training. They found smaller sets (3-6 items) beat big sets (12). Oliveira’s OTM result mirrors that: leaner structures win.
Why it matters
If you run equivalence lessons for staff training, safety labels, or academic facts, start with one-to-many (OTM) layouts. You will free up student time and reduce session fatigue without losing accuracy. Try it next time you teach medication names, hazard symbols, or new vocabulary.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We used a laboratory preparation to evaluate the claim that equivalence-based instruction (EBI) is an efficient form of instruction due to eliminating the need for emergent relations to be taught. Three groups of college students received training to establish 3 stimulus classes with 4 members in each class. Two groups received either a linear series (EBI-LS) or a 1-to-many training structure (EBI-OTM group). A control group received complete instruction (CI) that targeted all possible relations between the members of each class. The EBI-OTM group required fewer trials to complete instruction compared to CI, whereas EBI-LS did not. The EBI-OTM and the CI groups performed equally well on a posttest that followed initial attainment of the mastery criterion, whereas the EBI-LS group performed more poorly than the other 2. The groups' performance on a function transfer test did not differ. The results support the claim that compared to CI, EBI is an efficient form of instruction when it follows an OTM structure. However, they also suggest this efficiency advantage cannot be attributed to the fewer relations that need to be taught in EBI, as the EBI-OTM and the EBI-LS groups were trained on the same number of relations.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2021 · doi:10.1002/jeab.657