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A systematic replication investigating the efficiency and effectiveness of restricted- and free-operant programming
Andrew J Bulla1, Amanda S Bradley1, Jennifer L Wertalik1
1Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University-Armstrong, Savannah, GA, USA.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 4, 2026
Summary
Humans learn new number discriminations faster with restricted-operant teaching. This method proved more efficient than free-operant arrangements for acquisition, though fluency outcomes were similar when response-reinforcer rates were equal.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Preliminary research indicated nonhuman organisms learn faster with free-operant teaching.
- Contrasting findings suggest humans may learn novel discriminations more efficiently under restricted-operant arrangements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically replicate and examine the efficiency of free- and restricted-operant teaching arrangements for human learning.
- To assess the impact of teaching arrangements on novel discrimination acquisition and fluency outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Participants learned to associate numerals 0-10 with Hindi, Eastern Arabic, and Mandarin number words.
- Number sets were assigned to free-operant, restricted-operant, or control teaching arrangements.
- Acquisition, frequency building, and fluency outcomes were assessed across two phases.
Main Results:
- Participants acquired novel discriminations more rapidly under the restricted-operant arrangement.
- No significant differences in fluency outcomes were observed when response-reinforcer relations were equated.
- The study highlights potential differences in learning mechanisms between human and nonhuman organisms.
Conclusions:
- Restricted-operant teaching arrangements appear more efficient for human acquisition of novel discriminations.
- Equating response-reinforcer rates minimizes differences in fluency outcomes across arrangements.
- Further research is needed to clarify basic and translational findings and procedural modifications.
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