Which behavior analysis concept focuses on the idea of transferring learned skills across various settings and situations?

The concept that centers around the transfer of learned skills across different settings and situations is generalization. Generalization occurs when a learner demonstrates a behavior in a variety of contexts, beyond the initial situation in which the behavior was taught. For instance, if a child learns to greet others at home, generalization would be seen if the same child begins to greet people at school or in public places without additional prompts.

Generalization is crucial in behavior analysis because it ensures that skills are not just learned in isolation but are applicable and functional in real-life scenarios, promoting independence and adaptability in various environments. This aspect is vital for effective behavior intervention and helps ensure that skills have lasting value beyond the therapy sessions.

In contrast, other concepts such as maintenance refers to the ability to retain skills over time, a token economy is a system used to reinforce desired behaviors through rewards, and shaping involves gradually teaching a new behavior by reinforcing successive approximations. While these are important in behavior analysis, they do not specifically address the idea of transferring skills across different settings, which is the essence of generalization.