In equivalence‐based instruction (EBI), a large number of stimulus relations can be established through direct instruction of a smaller number of strategically selected relations. We evaluated the efficiency and other potential benefits of EBI in 2 between‐subjects experiments with college students that compared EBI with complete instruction (CI). In Experiment 1 (n = 50), mastery criteria in both conditions required an equal number of equally sized trial blocks at equal accuracy. Under those conditions, trials to passing posttests did not differ significantly between groups during the establishment of 3‐member classes or during expansion to 4‐ and 5‐member classes. In Experiment 2 (n = 48), mastery criteria were equated across conditions in terms of the number of consecutive correct trials required for each trial type. Under those conditions, EBI required fewer trials to complete than did CI. Neither experiment found an advantage of EBI over CI in terms of facilitating future learning or maintenance of class‐consistent responding. Overall, the results suggest that greater efficiency of EBI compared to CI may largely be attributed to learning assessment practices, but additional research is warranted with additional EBI training structures and trial arrangements.

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We used a laboratory preparation to evaluate the claim that equivalence‐based instruction (EBI) is an efficient form of instruction due to eliminating the need for emergent relations to be taught. Three groups of college students received training to establish 3 stimulus classes with 4 members in each class. Two groups received either a linear series (EBI‐LS) or a 1‐to‐many training structure (EBI‐OTM group). A control group received complete instruction (CI) that targeted all possible relations between the members of each class. The EBI‐OTM group required fewer trials to complete instruction compared to CI, whereas EBI‐LS did not. The EBI‐OTM and the CI groups performed equally well on a posttest that followed initial attainment of the mastery criterion, whereas the EBI‐LS group performed more poorly than the other 2. The groups' performance on a function transfer test did not differ. The results support the claim that compared to CI, EBI is an efficient form of instruction when it follows an OTM structure. However, they also suggest this efficiency advantage cannot be attributed to the fewer relations that need to be taught in EBI, as the EBI‐OTM and the EBI‐LS groups were trained on the same number of relations.

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