A preliminary investigation to establish conceptual behavior in gray wolves (Canis lupus).

Conceptual behavior represents a type of complex stimulus control where an organism differentially responds to examples and nonexamples of instances within a stimulus class. Different species have demonstrated conceptual behavior both in their natural environments and through experimental investigations. The current paper investigates preliminary methods to teach conceptual behavior to gray wolves (Canis lupus). The researchers used a match-to-sample arrangement to teach three shapes: a triangle, square, and cross varying in size, color, and positions. Probe trials used a novel set of stimuli to test for the emergence of conceptual behavior. Although the wolves did not show an immediate transfer to novel stimuli following initial match-to-sample training, they did show improvement after explicit discrimination training. We discuss the implications of these results as well as future methods that may enhance experimental procedures investigating concept learning in canids.

Using Self-Management and Social Media to Increase Steps in Sedentary College Students.

Physical inactivity increases the risk of many chronic diseases. Approximately 40% to 50% of college students are physically inactive. Research suggests that when students establish physical activity routines during their college careers, they have a greater chance of maintaining those specific behaviors over time. The current study sought to increase steps in sedentary college students by using a self-management intervention consisting of self-monitoring, goal setting, social media (Instagram), weekly meetings, and social feedback. Researchers used a multiple-baseline across-participants design with an embedded reversal to assess the effects of the packaged intervention. The intervention increased the physical activity levels of 3 of the 4 participants. The results of the current study suggest that multiple strategies such as the use of technological innovations, goal setting, and social media feedback should be considered and leveraged in programs aimed at increasing the level of physical activity among college students.

Creating the Components for Teaching Concepts.

An important dimension of Direct Instruction (DI) programs involves teaching conceptual behavior related to broadly applicable generalizations of a content domain. The current article outlines the necessary components for teaching a concept in any domain. The first step (1) is to conduct a concept analysis of the critical features that define the concept, as well as the features that vary from instance to instance of the concept. From this prescription we must (2) develop a range of typical and far-out examples of the concept that illustrate both the critical and variable features, (3) develop a minimum rational set of close-in nonexamples of the concept, each of which is missing only one critical feature, (4) develop matched example/nonexample pairs to highlight the critical feature missing in each example, and (5) develop additional examples and nonexamples that may be needed to produce the desired discriminations. Multiple exemplar teaching is not enough. Teaching a concept this way produces generative responding to examples as well as nonexamples not presented during instruction. To assess learners' generative responding, we must (6) create another set of far-out examples and close-in nonexamples from the concept-analysis prescription. Finally, after initially acquiring conceptual behavior, learners must (7) practice with additional far-out examples and close-in nonexamples. Once these components are created, a teacher is ready to develop an instructional sequence featuring tasks that include context-setting descriptions, rules, examples, and nonexamples.

Introduction to the Special Section: Precision Teaching: Discoveries and Applications.

The current article provides an introduction to the special section in Behavior Analysis in Practice focusing on precision teaching and standard celeration charting. This particular section highlights recent advancements and discoveries made using the standard celeration chart. Drs. Andrew Bulla, Mary Sawyer, and Abigail Calkin served as guest editors for the special section. This section includes articles focusing on applications to general and education settings, working with individuals with disabilities, tutorial pieces giving practitioners a step-by-step guide for implementing procedure, as well as unique applications of the standard celeration chart.

The Precision Teaching System: A Synthesized Definition, Concept Analysis, and Process.

Precision teaching (PT) has a long history in the fields of behavior analysis and education. As the system of PT has evolved and grown, many developments and discoveries have been made. The current article briefly reviews the history of PT and presents a synthesized definition derived from the unique legacy of the system. The article includes (a) an updated definition of PT, (b) a concept analysis of PT, and (c) a set of synthesized steps that comprise PT. The goal of the current article is to present a succinct summary of the current state of PT for readers from all backgrounds, with examples that encompass the entirety of the applications of PT.