A Comparison of Immediate and Post-Session Feedback with Behavioral Skills Training to Improve Interview Skills in College Students

Barker et al. (2019) compared two ways to give feedback during Behavioral Skills Training. One group of college students got feedback right after each mock interview. The other group got the same feedback, but only at the end of the whole session.

The researchers used an alternating-treatments design. Each student tried both feedback styles. The team tracked how fast the students learned and how well they kept the skills later.

Immediate feedback won. Students who heard 'fix your eye contact' right after a role-play reached mastery faster. They also kept the skills better and used them in new settings.

Post-session feedback still worked, but it took longer and the gains faded more. The takeaway: don't save all your comments for the end.

Matos et al. (2021) ran a near-copy of this study with undergraduates teaching kids with autism. They also found that immediate feedback beat delayed feedback. The skill domain changed, but the pattern held.

Ampuero et al. (2025) looked at paraeducators learning to support students with ASD. They swapped full BST for brief performance feedback and still hit mastery in less time. Their result seems to clash with Barker's 'more feedback is better' vibe. The difference: Ampuero gave tiny, in-the-moment nudges during real work, while Barker compared big chunks of feedback given later. Both agree that timing beats volume.

Briggs et al. (2024) reviewed 51 BST studies and found researchers keep trimming or reordering steps to save time. Barker's immediate tweak is one of those trims—cut the wait and you cut the learning curve.

If you train staff, parents, or students, give feedback right after the response. Waiting until the end of the session slows learning and hurts maintenance. A simple 'Good eye contact—now try a firmer handshake' takes ten seconds and pays off for weeks.