Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

7-21-1975

Abstract

The primary purpose of this experiment was to investigate the rate of discrimination learning in adding a cue to a designated reinforced stimulus as compared to adding a cue to a designated nonreinforced stimulus after prior nondifferential training had been given. It was predicted that the efficacy of adding a cue to either a positive or negative stimulus would depend on the type of nondifferential pretraining given. The results of the experiment demonstrated the following: first, after equal reinforcement pretraining, adding a cue to a designated nonreinforced stimulus facilitated subsequent discrimination learning more than adding a cue to a designated reinforced stimulus. Second, after equal nonreinforcement pretraining, adding a cue to a designated reinforced stimulus facilitated subsequent discrimination learning more than adding a cue to a designated nonreinforced stimulus. Third, after equal random reinforcement pretraining, cues added to either designated reinforced or nonreinforced stimuli contributed about equally. And, finally, all discriminations in which a cue was added were solved more quickly than when no cue was added.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Frank Anderson Logan

Second Committee Member

Thomas Patrick Friden

Third Committee Member

G. Robert Grice

Fourth Committee Member

Henry Carleton Ellis

Fifth Committee Member

John Paul Gluck Jr.

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS