What does stimulus control transfer involve?

Stimulus control transfer involves the process of gradually shifting control from one stimulus to another. This technique is often used in behavior analysis to ensure that a desired behavior becomes associated with a new stimulus rather than the original one. For instance, if a child has learned to respond to a teacher’s prompts in a specific setting, stimulus control transfer might involve transitioning that response to a different environment or with a different prompt while maintaining the same behavior.

This method is critical in teaching and generalizing skills, as it helps learners apply what they have mastered in various contexts. Gradual transfer ensures that the learner has the opportunity to reinforce the behaviors and responses under the new conditions, thereby fostering adaptability and skill retention. In contrast, the other options involve either abrupt changes or eliminating stimuli entirely, which do not facilitate the gradual learning process that is essential for effective stimulus control transfer.