On Terms and Procedures: Fluency

Abstract

Fluency is a metaphor for flowing, effortless, well-practiced, and accurate performance. Current practice in fluency building involves increasing the frequency of free-operant performances. Free-operant performance is defined as continuous responding in the presence of discriminative stimuli that are either varied or not varied from response to response. Free-operant performance is also distinguished from discrete-trial performance. Frequency-building procedures are also described, including defining the learning channel and stimulus control topography of a component performance (called a pinpoint), selecting an appropriate timing period, and displaying stimuli so that no performance ceilings occur. During frequency building, frequencies of pinpoints are continuously charted on standard celeration charts. Frequencies are increased to empirically derived performance standards, or aims, that predict retention, endurance, stability, application, and adduction of performance. Frequency is also described as a dimension of performance, not simply its measurement. Frequency building is described as possibly facilitating contingency adduction.

Using action dynamics to assess competing stimulus control during stimulus equivalence testing

“…In the applied literature, fluency of verbal responding has been correlated with numerous measures that seem to indicate greater response strength (e.g., retention, endurance, application; Johnson & Layng, 1996;Lindsley, 1992). Response latency of accurate responses is often used as an index of fluency, but fluency might also be measured in terms of reduced complexity and variability of verbal response topographies.…”

A resource on behavioral terminology: An annotated bibliography of On Terms articles in The Behavior Analyst

“…These articles serve a number of different purposes, including introducing replacement terms (e.g., Drash, 1988), clarifying the definitions of terms (e.g., Smith, 1986), and describing the conditions of proper term use (e.g., Branch & Vollmer, 2004;Friman, 2004). In addition, the articles include terms that span a number of different areas pertinent to behavior analysis such as the experimental analysis of behavior (e.g., Imam & Lattal, 1992), applied behavior analysis (e.g., Johnson & Layng, 1996), behaviorism (e.g., Marr, 1982) and behavioral methodology (e.g., Smith, 1986). On Terms articles are potentially useful for behavior analysts and teachers of behavior analysis in helping them to better understand important technical terms.…”

The relations among fluency, rate building, and practice: A response to Doughty, Chase, and O’Shields (2004)

“…Under the section "Defining and Clarifying Terms and Methods," Doughty et al provide examples of two different sets of outcomes associated with fluency: retention, endurance, application, performance standards (REAPS; Binder, 1996;Haughton, 1980) and retention, endurance, stability, application, adduction (RESAA; Johnson & Layng, 1996;Weiss, 2001 (Barrett, 1979;Berens, Boyce, Berens, Doney, & Kenzer, 2003;Binder, 1996;Haughton, 1972Haughton, , 1973Haughton, , 1980Johnson & Layng, 1996;Kubina, Young, & Kilwein, 2004;Lin & Kubina, in press;Smyth & Keenan, 2002). Doughty et al categorized some studies that explicitly examined the effects of fluency on generalization as representative of application (or their term, extension) (e.g., Ashbaugh & McLaughlin, 1997;Young, West, Howard, & Whitney, 1986).…”

“…A second concern from Doughty et al's definitions section comes from the absence of the major component for fluency outcomes, performance standards (Binder, 1996;Haughton, 1980), what Johnson and Layng (1996) describe as the linchpin of RESAA. A performance standard specifies the quality and quantity criteria for fluency.…”

“…Obtaining the fluency aim did not represent the sole cause of fluency and the associated outcomes but served as an indicator of a skilled, well-practiced performance. Johnson and Layng (1996) suggest that eight other variables play a critical role in promoting fluency.…”