Abstract
Recombinative generalization is the production of responses in the presence of novel combinations of known components. For example, after learning “red triangle” and “blue square,” recombinative generalization is observed when a child can tact “red square” and “blue triangle.” Recombinative generalization can emerge from a history of matrix training, which involves carefully selecting and arranging stimuli and responses along at least two axes and training a subset of responses. With three children with autism spectrum disorder, we compared recombinative generalization of object–action or feature–object tacts when the component stimuli were trained before combination stimuli, trained along with combination stimuli, or untrained (i.e., combination only). For two participants, training the components along with some combinations led to the most untrained targets acquired without direct teaching. For the other participant, training the combinations only led to the greatest proportion of untrained targets acquired without direct teaching. We discuss stimulus control promoted by each teaching arrangement and suggestions for future research on recombinative generalization.
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Acknowledgments
Portions of the study were conducted when the first three authors were at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. We thank Dayna Costello, Mary Halbur, Katie Hoffert, Terra Jones, Teresa Mayland, Marisa McKee, Courtney Meyerhofer, and Jessi Reidy for their help.
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The study was reviewed and approved by the human subjects research board at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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Gabriella Van Den Elzen’s work on this study was supported by a Support for Undergraduates in Research fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Samantha Bergmann served on the editorial board and currently serves as an Associate Editor of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Tiffany Kodak serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.
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Bergmann, S., Van Den Elzen, G., Kodak, T. et al. Comparing Matrix-Training Procedures with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Analysis Verbal Behav 38, 24–53 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-022-00167-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-022-00167-8