Trials to Criterion
Definition
The number of response opportunities needed before the learner reaches a pre-set performance standard. It measures how quickly a skill is acquired and is useful for comparing teaching methods or tracking whether learning is speeding up across similar targets.
In plain language
How many tries it takes to reach the goal. Fewer tries over time means the person is learning faster.
Example
The first color took 60 trials to reach 90 percent correct; the fourth color took 15.
Not trials to criterion
The percentage correct in a single session. That describes accuracy on one day, not how long mastery took.
See also
Written from
- johnston-pennypacker-2020
Written from Johnston, Pennypacker and Green (2020). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.