Beyond 80% Correct: Rethinking Mastery Criteria in ABA: Session 333 with Sarah Richling & Dan Fienup
Summary
Host Matt Cicoria interviews Drs. Sarah Richling and Dan Fienup to challenge the empirical basis of common mastery criteria like 80% accuracy in behavior analysis. They discuss how these arbitrary thresholds are often passed down through supervision rather than supported by research, and explore how varying performance levels impact long-term skill maintenance. The conversation emphasizes the need for data-driven, individualized decision-making over rigid rules to ensure true learning and generalization.
Topics discussed
Introduction and sponsor announcements
Guest introductions and background
Origin of the research collaboration
Defining mastery criteria vs. performance criteria
Generalization, maintenance, and unit analysis
Survey findings on practitioner rules
Historical origins of 80-90% thresholds
Experimental comparison of mastery criteria
Individualizing criteria and overtraining
Precision teaching and fluency aims
Naturalistic performance and maintenance
Future research directions and conclusion
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