ABSTRACT
Antecedents are a major part of education. To teach students at any level to respond appropriately to “concepts,” one needs to identify the properties that define the concept to be taught. This chapter looks at the features of exercises needed to teach concepts and principles well. Inappropriate antecedent control describes control by a situation that differs from the stimuli or events that should control the response. Some phrases in math problems provide antecedent control that is inappropriate. Watching students at work always helps identify antecedent control. Generalization (also called Induction) describes the spread of effect on behavior from one antecedent situation to others that share similar properties. All operant behavior is emitted not elicited. Operants may occur without any particular antecedent stimulus. In education, the degree of understanding depends on the distinctions the students should make at their present level of education. The design of instructional materials determines the properties to which students are likely to respond.
