Discriminative training and unusual stimulus equivalence as effects of consistency training with usual stimuli

Abstract

Studies using stimulus consistency training without differential consequences through sample/S+ matching involving three choice pairing of usual stimuli (easily discriminated figures) resulted in the formation of stimulus equivalence classes by adults subjects with no prior experimental participation. The aim of this experiment was to verify whether, after being submitted to training in conditional discriminations without reinforcement, and to tests of symmetry and equivalence involving usual figures (Condition 1), four experimentally naive university students would respond consistentIy to training, also without reiforncement, and form stimulus equivalence classes (unusual figures) in another situation (Condition 2). The AB, AD, and AD training sequence was employed, followed by tests of emergent relations in blocks of 36 triaIs. In both training conditions, one consistency stimulus (S^C) was always matched to the sample together with two inconsistency stimuli (Sⁱ), one of which was present in each of two successive trials. In Condition 1, the subjects demonstrated the conditional relations; three subjetcs formed the emergent relations, and one subjetc did not respond to symmetry testing. In Condition 2,  three subjetcs reached the learning criterion and showed the emergent relations tested, These results indicate that the consistency training based on the nature of the stimuli in Condition 1was relevant for successful performance in the subsequent condition.