Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Claire St. Peter

Committee Member

Ray Joslyn

Committee Member

Michelle Roley-Roberts

Committee Member

Kimberly Floyd

Committee Member

Anibal Gutierrez

Abstract

In behavior analysis, staff are often trained to percentage-based criteria to demonstrate that they have mastered a skill. However, percentage-based mastery criteria may not result in long-term maintenance of the skill. In other areas of instruction, fluency criteria resulted in multiple positive outcomes such as maintenance, endurance, and application of the skill beyond the training context, but these outcomes have not yet been widely demonstrated in the context of teaching behavior support plan (BSP) content and implementation. Across two experiments, we attempted to evaluate the extent to which training individuals to a fluency-based or percentage-based criterion resulted in maintenance and implementation of mock BSP content. We also conducted semi-structured interviews to evaluate participants’ experiences with each type of criterion. During Experiment 1, we attempted to control for practice by requiring participants to practice the content of the BSP until they met both criteria. During Experiment 2, we did not control for practice to mimic training to mastery in naturalistic contexts. Participants rarely met mastery criteria, precluding an evaluation of the relative value of fluency-based and percentage-based criteria. Participants’ reflections uncovered aspects of fluency-based instruction that were potentially aversive (e.g., timings) and supportive (e.g., behavior-specific criteria). Additional research is needed to clarify the conditions under which mastery criteria may be related to BSP knowledge and implementation. 

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