What is a primary reason for follow-up testing sessions?

Follow-up testing sessions are primarily conducted to gauge skill retention. This process allows practitioners to assess whether the skills and knowledge acquired during earlier instruction have been successfully retained by the student over time. It is critical in behavior analysis since skills need to be maintained and demonstrated consistently across various settings and situations.

Engagement and motivation are indeed important factors in a learning environment, but ensuring student engagement is not the main purpose of follow-up sessions. Similarly, while grading opportunities might arise during assessments, the focus is more on understanding whether the learned skills are still present and can be applied effectively rather than on achieving a grade. Competition among peers may serve as a motivational tool but is not a fundamental reason for conducting follow-up tests. Ultimately, the effectiveness of teaching methods is evaluated based on how well students retain and apply their skills, making skill retention the central aim of these follow-up testing sessions.