The contribution of decentration as an underlying component of discrimination learning and discrimination shift behavior was investigated in this study. In addition, the effect of verbal labeling and the relationship of academic achievement to discrimination learning and decentration was considered. The subjects were 120 first grade students who were identified and placed within subgroups of either high or low decentration and one of three verbal labeling groups. The results did not support the hypothesis that facility in decentration is an underlying component of successful discrimination problem solving or discrimination shift behavior. In addition, verbal labeling did not facilitate discrimination learning or shift behavior. The saliency of the stimulus was found to be related to both facility in discrimination learning and likelihood of reversal shifts. Finally, academic achievement was shown to be consistently related to ability to decenter, while success of discrimination learning and shift behavior was unrelated to academic achievement. (Author)