Generalization of target behavior Definition and Examples

What is Generalization of Target Behavior?

Generalization of target behavior means prompting someone to use a previously practiced behavior in a new situation. The basic problem is familiar: being able to do something in a class or training session does not mean you will do it elsewhere.

How It Works

The technique moves practice into another relevant setting. For example, a person who has practiced a stretching routine in a class might be prompted to use that same routine at home. The target behavior stays the same; the situation changes.

What is the target behavior?

The target behavior is the specific action the intervention concerns. Here, performing the stretching routine is the target behavior; being healthier is a broader desired outcome.

In the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy v1, this is technique 8.6. The taxonomy names the intervention component. Whether a particular use of it improves behavior is a separate question.

Planning and checking transfer

The specific BCT is a prompt to use the practiced behavior elsewhere. Broader generalization planning asks how performance will extend beyond training. Stokes and Baer’s review considered approaches such as training varied examples and arranging important cues in both the training and new settings.

For a hypothetical stretching routine, a person could practice in class and then at home, using the same illustrated sequence in each place. Check whether the routine occurs at home and whether the shared cue is useful. If it happens only while the instructor gives step-by-step help, that does not yet show that the person can use it under ordinary home conditions. Practicing in two places is a planning step; transfer beyond those practice conditions still needs to be checked.

Why It Matters

A successful practice session can give a misleading picture of progress. If the behavior matters at home, at work, or in another setting, check whether it happens there. Transfer is part of the job, not something to assume after training ends.