In Experiment 1, four subjects were trained to match two visual samples (A) and their respective nonidentical visual comparisons (B); i.e., A-B matching. During nonreinforced test trials, all subjects demonstrated stimulus equivalences within the context of sample-comparison reversibility (B-A matching): When B stimuli were used as samples, appropriate responding to A comparisons occurred. A-B and B-A matching persisted given novel stimuli as alternate comparisons. However, the novel comparisons were consistently selected in the presence of nonmatching stimuli: i.e., during trials comprised of a novel comparison, an A or B sample from one stimulus class, and an "incorrect" comparison from the other, B or A stimuli respectively. In Experiment 2, three groups of subjects were trained under three different mediated transfer paradigms (e.g., A-B, C-B matching). Tests for reversibility (e.g., B0A, B0C matching) and mediated transfer (e.g., A-C, C-A matching)evinced stimulus equivalences for 11 of 12 subjects. The 11 subjects also matched the mediated equivalences given novel comparisons; whereas, they selected the novel comparisons when combined with nonmatching stimuli. Overall, the demonstrated stimulus equivalences favor a concept learning interpretation of non-identity matching-to-sample. Additionally, the trained and mediated matching relations were comprised of complementary sets of S+ and S- rules: Any stimulus of a given class used as a sample designated both the "correct" and "incorrect" comparisons.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTAHS/oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-6895 |
| Date | 01 May 1980 |
| Creators | Stromer, Robert |
| Publisher | DigitalCommons@USU |
| Source Sets | Utah State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | All Graduate Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. |
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