Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

5-2-1972

Abstract

The effects of errors during discrimination acquisition on the post-discrimination generalization gradients of children were examined. 108 seven-to­eight-year-old children mastered simultaneous intradimensional discriminations (line tilts of 0° and 30°, or 30° and 60°) or interdimensional discriminations (30° line and dot) in either an errorful or errorless fashion. Errorful Ss acquired the discriminations with a trial and error procedure in which responses to S+ were reinforced and responses to S- were not reinforced. Errorless learning was experimentally produced by use of a progressive S- fading procedure. Following acquisition, all Ss received generalization tests along the line tilt continuum. Intradimensional gradients demonstrated negative peak shift effects and no positive peak shift effects. The interdimensional gradients were flatter than the intradimensional gradients, and the S- interdimensional gradients demonstrated no control for either the errorful or errorless Ss. No differences were noted in the post­discrimination generalization gradients for the errorful and errorless Ss. It was concluded that S- does not play an active role in simultaneous discrimination learning with children. The relative "unimportance" of S- as opposed to S+ was inferred on the basis of (1) flat interdimensional S- gradients for both errorful and errorless Ss, (2) the presence of negative peak shift paired with the absence of positive peak shift for the intradimensional Ss, and (3) no differences between the post-discrimination generalization gradients of errorful and errorless Ss. The fading procedure was effective in producing errorless simultaneous discrimination learning in children. Such procedures appear to be viable instructional techniques: errorful and errorless Ss established similar kinds of control, while instructional time was minimized with the fading procedure.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Douglas Peter Ferraro

Second Committee Member

Frank Anderson Logan

Third Committee Member

Sidney Rosenblum

Fourth Committee Member

G. Robert Grice

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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