Generalization of object naming after training with picture cards and with objects

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Special Education

Background:

• Children with intellectual disabilities often face challenges in generalizing learned skills.
• Object naming is a fundamental skill for communication and learning.
• Effective training methods are crucial for improving skill generalization in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of training object naming using real objects versus pictures.
• To investigate methods for improving generalization of object naming skills to natural environments.
• To assess the impact of stimulus class training on generalization.

Main Methods:

• Four children with intellectual disabilities were trained on object naming.
• Training involved either real objects or pictures of objects.
• A second experiment involved retraining with alternating objects from the same stimulus class or with the original object.

Main Results:

• Generalization of object naming was greater when training used real objects compared to pictures.
• Retraining using an alternating procedure with objects from the same stimulus class significantly increased generalization.
• Simple retraining with the original object showed less improvement in generalization.

Conclusions:

• Training with real objects is more effective for promoting generalization of object naming skills.
• The alternating training procedure, utilizing stimulus class members, is a powerful technique to enhance generalization.
• These findings have implications for designing more effective early intervention and educational strategies for children with intellectual disabilities.