Matching-to-Sample Procedures

In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Matching-to-Sample (MTS) procedures are a teaching method that involves presenting a stimulus (the "sample") and requiring the learner to select a corresponding match from an array of comparison stimuli. The goal is to teach discrimination skills by reinforcing correct selections and providing prompts or corrective feedback when errors occur. This method is used to build foundational skills such as identifying objects, pictures, or words and can later be expanded to teach more complex concepts like categories, relationships, and abstract reasoning.

Example: A behavior technician shows a child a picture of a cat (the sample stimulus) and then presents three comparison stimuli: a dog, a cat, and a bird. When the child selects the matching picture of the cat, they receive reinforcement such as praise or a small reward. Over time, this procedure can be generalized to more abstract tasks—for instance, showing the written word "cat" as the sample and asking the learner to match it with the correct picture. This strengthens both receptive and expressive language skills while supporting cognitive development through discrimination learning.