Efficiency Measures: Trials to Criterion, Training Duration, and Cost-Benefit

Efficiency Measures: Trials to Criterion, Training Duration, and Cost-Benefit This episode explains BACB C-7’s focus on measuring the efficiency of behavior change by comparing instructional methods based on fewer trials, less time, and better use of resources. It outlines why direct and frequent measurement is needed to determine when behavior changed, the extent and duration of change, stability across phases, and whether changes generalize to other settings, supporting data-based decisions to continue, modify, or end treatment. Key efficiency measures include trials to criterion (response opportunities required to reach a predetermined mastery level), minutes of instruction needed to reach criterion (training duration), and cost considerations such as cost-benefit ratios. The script emphasizes defining what counts as a “trial,” provides examples across skills (shoe tying, vowel discriminations, subtraction, recipe preparation), and links efficiency judgments to social validity. 00:00 Efficiency in Measurement 01:12 Trials to Criterion Basics 02:09 Defining a Trial Unit 03:13 Beyond Discrete Trials 04:03 Cost and Instructional Minutes 05:54 Comparing Method Efficiency 06:50 Trials as Dependent Variable 07:29 Cost Benefit and Social Validity 08:29 Final Rules and Recap