StimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or... Equivalence refers to a situation in which an individual demonstrates that different stimuli are related to each other in specific ways, without direct teaching for all relations. It involves three key components: reflexivityIn Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), reflexivity is a concept..., symmetrySymmetry is a concept in derived relational responding, part..., and transitivityTransitivity is a concept in derived relational responding a.... When these components are demonstrated, a group of stimuli is considered to be equivalent, meaning the learner can treat them as interchangeable in certain contexts.
Example
In an ABA setting, a teacher is teaching a child about shapes. The teacher shows the child a picture of a triangle (Stimulus A) and teaches them that the word “triangle” (Stimulus B) refers to that picture. Then, the teacher shows the written word “triangle” (Stimulus C) and teaches that it matches the spoken word “triangle.” Through stimulus equivalence, the child can now match the picture of the triangle to the written word “triangle” without direct teaching of that specific relation.