Research Implications: Prompting and Fading Guidance Procedures: Their Effect on Chaining and Whole Task Teaching Strategies

Abstract

Several successful training techniques for teaching complex behaviors to the retarded have in- cluded chaining, whole task, prompts, and consequences. However, little has been learned in terms of how these different instructional methods interact with each other that is, how the use of guidance procedures affect the efficiency of chaining and whole task. The present study compared the efficiency between two pairs of training methods: (a) Backward Chaining Preguidance (working in a backward order and using prompts) versus Backward Chaining Postguidance (working in a backward order and using feedback only); and (b) Whole-Preguidance (working in a forward order from start to finish and using prompts) versus Whole-Postguidance (working in a forward order from start to finish and using feedback only). Twelve moderately and severely retarded adults were taught to assemble four 9-part assemblies a car- buretor, bicycle brake, dishwasher pump, and lawn mower engine. Results indicated that preguidance procedures were superior to postguidance in terms of total training time and total errors. The trend favoring preguidance was evident for both backward chaining and whole task, and for the moderately and severely retarded subjects.

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