Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, Vol 26(1), Feb 2026, 8-18; doi:10.1037/bar0000323
Behavioral skills training (BST) is a commonly used package of procedures used to teach new skills to individuals to engage in behavioral skillsets. Although there is evidence to support BST effectiveness, there remains ambiguity on the effectiveness of the individual components of the package and to what extent each variable is responsible for behavior change. This systematic review sought to gather and summarize the literature on component analyses that have been conducted for BST. We identified a total of seven articles, with only five articles appearing in peer-reviewed journals. Across the seven included studies, we evaluated 64 designs for rigor according to the What Works Clearinghouse quality standards. Of the 64 included designs, 41 did not meet What Works Clearinghouse standards, whereas 15 met with reservations, and eight met without reservations. Studies included a variety of trainees, including parents, teachers, students, and support staff. Components of BST varied in their modality across studies (e.g., live modeling vs. video modeling), which created uncertainty as to what modality would most likely influence the dependent variable. Findings suggest a need for additional updated research using rigorous designs to empirically validate each of the four commonly used components of BST (i.e., didactic instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback) and potentially investigate the modalities of components and dosages of training that are most likely to result in learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)