Which component begins each DTT trial?

• A. A reward is given after every response.
• B. An antecedent, often an SD.
• C. A punishment is administered for incorrect responses.
• D. No prompts are used.

Answer: (B)

In discrete-trial teaching, every trial begins with an antecedent cue—the discriminative stimulus—that signals the learner what is expected. This cue starts the trial and sets the occasion for the correct response. If the learner needs help, a prompt may follow the antecedent to guide them. After the response, a consequence is delivered, typically reinforcement for a correct response or a correction for an incorrect one, and then the next trial begins. The antecedent is the component that initiates the trial, while the other elements occur after the response to shape learning.