Which of the following are components of Generalized Behavior Change?

• A. Response maintenance
• B. Stimulus/setting generalization
• C. Response generalization
• D. All of the above

Answer: (B)

Generalized behavior change means the effect of training shows up beyond the exact conditions in which it was taught, extending to new stimuli and new settings. The two aspects that demonstrate this transfer most directly are stimulus generalization and setting generalization. Stimulus generalization occurs when the learned response appears to similar but novel stimuli, not just the trained ones. Setting generalization happens when the behavior appears in different environments or with different people, not just at the training site.

Maintenance deals with how well the change lasts over time, and response generalization refers to producing other, untrained responses that achieve the same function. While these are important concepts, they aren’t the components that define generalized change across new stimuli and settings in the way stimulus/setting generalization do. That’s why the best answer highlights stimulus and setting generalization.