Recent advances in chaining procedures: A literature review from 2004–2023

Chaining procedures are often used in applied settings to teach complex skills. Chaining involves breaking down complex behaviors into small manageable steps and then teaching those steps sequentially. There are multiple variations in how chaining procedures are used in applied settings to teach skills. We conducted a review of the literature to evaluate common components of chaining procedures used in applied research. We searched for studies using PSYC Info and the ERIC database from 2004 to 2023. Thirty-eight studies met our inclusionary criteria for further analysis. Studies were coded on a number of variables, including chaining procedure reported, skill taught, prompting procedures, interspersal of terminal probes, maintenance, and generalization. Common skills targeted for instruction included vocational and independent living tasks and play and leisure skills. We also found that few studies included terminal probes throughout teaching or assessed long-term maintenance. Further discussion of results and applied research implications will be discussed.