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J Appl Behav Anal. 1977 Summer; 10(2): 349–367.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-349.
PMCID: PMC1311194
An implicit technology of generalization1
Trevor F. Stokes and Donald M. Baer
The University of Manitoba
The University of Kansas
1Preparation of this paper was supported in part by PHS Training Grant 00183, Program Project Grant HD 00870, and Research Grant MH 11739. Reprints may be obtained either from T. F. Stokes, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2, or D. M. Baer, Department of Human Development, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045.
Abstract
Traditionally, discrimination has been understood as an active process, and a technology of its procedures has been developed and practiced extensively. Generalization, by contrast, has been considered the natural result of failing to practice a discrimination technology adequately, and thus has remained a passive concept almost devoid of a technology. But, generalization is equally deserving of an active conceptualization and technology. This review summarizes the structure of the generalization literature and its implicit embryonic technology, categorizing studies designed to assess or program generalization according to nine general headings: Train and Hope; Sequential Modification; Introduce to Natural Maintaining Contingencies; Train Sufficient Exemplars; Train Loosely; Use Indiscriminable Contingencies; Program Common Stimuli; Mediate Generalization; and Train “To Generalize”.
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Selected References
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