An Introduction to Stimulus Equivalence: What is it and why does it matter. belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter case conceptualization, intervention design, staff training, and literature-informed problem solving.
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Join Free →This presentation will explore a behavior-analytic approach to the understanding of symbolic function. Key questions such as, "what is a symbol?", and "how does a symbol come to have its effects?" will be addressed through the lens of stimulus equivalence. Stimulus equivalence was conceptualized originally by Murry Sidman in the early 1970's. Some of his early work will be described to illustrate the basic stimulus-equivalence paradigm. Further developments in the equivalence approach will be outlined to emphasize the tremendous applied potential that equivalence-based instruction holds for generating new repertoires with a minimum of teaching across a wide range of participant populations. Learning Objectives: Audience members will be able to: 1) describe the basic stimulus-equivalence paradigm; 2) describe examples of emergent performances that result from equivalence approaches (reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity); 3) describe the power of equivalence-based instruction in applied settings.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
Dr. Carol Pilgrim received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1987 with a specialization in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. She is currently Professor Emerit in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she has been honored with a Distinguished Teaching Professorship (1994-1997), the North Carolina Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award (2003), the Faculty Scholarship Award (2000), and the Graduate Mentor Award (2008). She received the Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award and the College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award in 1992, the ABAI Student Committee Outstanding Mentor Award in 2006, and the ABAI Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis award in 2017, among other honors. Her research contributions include both basic and applied behavior analysis, with an emphasis in human operant behavior, relational stimulus control, and the early detection of breast cancer. Dr. Pilgrim has served as editor of The Behavior Analyst, associate editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and The Behavior Analyst, co-editor of the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin, and as a member of the editorial boards of those and several other journals. She is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and of Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. She has served as President of the Association for Behavior Analysis twice, as well as President of the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, Division 25 of the American Psychological Association, and the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis. Additionally, she has been Member-at-large of the Executive Council of ABA and Division 25, and member of the Boards of Directors of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
225 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.