Symmetry is a concept in derived relational responding, particularly in stimulus equivalenceStimulus Equivalence refers to a situation in which an indiv... More. Symmetry refers to the learner’s ability to reverse a trained relation between two stimuli. In other words, if the learner is taught that StimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or... More A is related to Stimulus B (A = B), they can demonstrate symmetry by understanding that Stimulus B is also related to Stimulus A (B = A) without additional training.
Example
If a learner is taught that a picture of a cat (Stimulus A) matches the spoken word “cat” (Stimulus B), symmetry is demonstrated if the learner, when presented with the spoken word “cat” (Stimulus B), can correctly identify or match it to the picture of the cat (Stimulus A). This shows that the learner understands the relation works both ways.
Symmetry is one of the critical components of stimulus equivalence, along with reflexivityIn Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), reflexivity is a concept... More and transitivityTransitivity is a concept in derived relational responding a... More.