Effects of feedback specificity on acquisition of trial‐based functional analysis skills
Use exact, step-level feedback when teaching staff to run trial-based FAs—vague praise can undo your training.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Falligant et al. (2021) taught eight new staff how to run a trial-based functional analysis.
Half first got vague feedback like "good job." The other half got specific feedback that named each step they did right or wrong.
Later the groups switched so every person tried both styles.
What they found
Specific feedback helped every trainee master the FA steps faster.
When the same people then got vague feedback, three of them lost skill.
Clear, step-by-step feedback beat general praise every time.
How this fits with other research
Preas et al. (2021) also tested feedback in caregiver BST and saw strong results, but they compared real-time comments to standard training instead of vague versus specific wording.
Schwarz et al. (1970) foreshadowed this idea: preschool teachers improved more when feedback listed exact teacher behaviors instead of general notes.
Boudreau et al. (2015) explain why: feedback works best when it acts like immediate reinforcement tied to a pinpointed response. Vague praise breaks that rule.
Why it matters
If you train staff, parents, or students, swap general comments for precise, component-level feedback. Say "You waited three seconds before the next trial; perfect latency" instead of "nice work." This tiny change can cut training time and keep skills strong after you leave.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractIndividuals responsible for training educational and support staff in schools and agencies may lack experience in evidence‐based training techniques. In particular, staff may have difficulty providing effective performance feedback, which is a critical component of many training models. Though many dimensions of feedback (e.g., accuracy, timing, consistency) may influence the effectiveness of feedback delivery, the impact of feedback specificity on performance is unknown. Accordingly, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of feedback specificity (vague vs. specific) on acquisition of trial‐based functional analysis skills with eight graduate students studying applied behavior analysis. Overall, specific feedback was associated with improved skill acquisition for all trainees, whereas vague feedback actually decreased performance, relative to baseline, for three trainees. Implications for staff training practices and future areas of research will be discussed.
Behavioral Interventions, 2021 · doi:10.1002/bin.1784