ABA glossary
Prompt
Definition
Added help, given with or after the instruction, before or during the response, that makes a correct response more likely while a skill is being learned. Prompts are planned to be faded.
In plain words
A prompt is extra support that is not part of the natural situation. Response prompts act on the learner's behavior: verbal instructions, gestures, models, and physical guidance. Stimulus prompts change or add to the materials: placing the correct card closer, making it bigger, or adding a color cue. Prompts help the learner respond correctly so the response can be reinforced, but the goal is always for the natural cue alone to produce the behavior, so prompts are planned to fade.
Example from a session
The RBT says, "Touch dog," and immediately points to the dog picture (a gestural prompt), as the program's current prompt level says. Leila touches the dog, and the RBT praises her and records "P" for a prompted response. On the next trials the program calls for waiting 2 seconds before pointing, which gives Leila a chance to respond to the instruction alone.
For BCBA candidates and supervisors
Analysts select prompts by the learner's history and the skill: physical and model prompts for motor skills, stimulus prompts or within-stimulus fading for discriminations, and as few extra prompts as possible to avoid prompt dependence. The fading plan (most-to-least, least-to-most, graduated guidance, time delay, or stimulus fading) is decided before teaching starts, along with how prompted responses are reinforced (often less than independent ones). Inadvertent prompts, such as looking at the correct card, can create faulty stimulus control and must be ruled out when data look too good or fall apart during generalization probes.
Often confused with discriminative stimulus, stimulus prompt
The SD is the natural cue that should eventually control the response, such as the instruction "Touch dog." A prompt is temporary help added to the SD and later removed. Response prompts act on the learner (gestures, models, guidance); stimulus prompts alter the materials (position, size, color).
Exam tip
Ask whether the help will still be there once the skill is mastered. If not, it is a prompt. If the change is to the materials, it is a stimulus prompt; if it is something the teacher does to guide the response, it is a response prompt.
Can you spot prompt in a scenario?
Practice RBT C.3 with exam-style questions and instant feedback.