Abstract
The present study investigated whether simple discrimination procedures produce emergent relations that are consistent with functional and equivalence classes. In Experiment 1, 4 normally capable adults were exposed to simple successive discrimination reversal training. Responses to the S+ (A1, B1, and C1) but not S− (A2, B2, and C2) were reinforced. The participants were then exposed to repeated-reversal training, followed by tests of emergent equivalence relations. In Experiment 2, 4 additional adults were exposed to a simple successive discrimination training procedure using differential responses. Response 1 (R1) was reinforced only when emitted in the presence of A1, B1, or C1 (A1-R1, B1-R1, or C1-R1). Response 2 (R2) was reinforced only in the presence of A2, B2, or C2 (A2-R2, B2-R2, or C2-R2). A new response was then trained in the presence of 1 member of each class (A1-R3, A2-R4). A transfer-of-function test was then conducted to verify whether the new responses would be emitted in the presence of B1, B2, C1, and C2. In both experiments, emergent conditional relations were tested using a go/no-go procedure with compound stimuli. In Experiment 1, all of the participants showed functional classes, and 3 showed patterns that are consistent with the formation of equivalence classes. In Experiment 2, all 4 participants showed patterns that are consistent with functional and equivalence class formation. In these experiments, simple discrimination training generated a range of emergent stimulus relations that mirrored those that are indicative of equivalence class formation.
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Author Note
Daniela S. Canovas and Paula Debert are members of the Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia sobre Comportamento, Cognição e Ensino (National Institute of Science and Technology on Behavior, Cognition, and Teaching), supported by FAPESP (2008/57705-8), and Conselho Nacional de Ciência de Tecnologia (CNPq; Brazilian Research Council, 573972/2008-7). Daniela S. Canovas was supported by a FAPESP grant (2010/06422-6).
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de Souza Canovas, D., Debert, P. & Pilgrim, C. Transfer-of-Function and Novel Emergent Relations Using Simple Discrimination Training Procedures. Psychol Rec 65, 337–346 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-014-0109-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-014-0109-9