A-B, A-Br型の対連合学習における先行訓練の函数としての連合転移

Abstract

Two experiments were designed in order to determine the effect of the amount of prior learning on associative transfer and to confirm the two-factor theory of learning.In experiment I, 12Ss in each of four groups learned a list of six pairs of two-syllabled nouns (A-B), which was followed by the second re-paired A-B list (A-Br). The amount of the prior learning was varied amoung the groups by the number of correct responses; one to three correct responses (Group 1), four or five correct responses on a single trial (Group 2), one perfect trial including six correct responses (Group 3), and one perfect plus four perfect trials (Group 4). The second list was learned to the criterion of one perfect trial for all Ss. It was found that associative interference first increased and then decreased as the degree of the prior learning increased, but associative facilitation was not observed even in the overtrained group (Table 2). Maximum interference occurred when the first list had been learned to one perfect trial. However, the results seemed to be different between the early and later stages of the second learning.Two list of seven pairs of nouns were used in Experiment II. Six groups, 10Ss each, were differentiated in terms of the amount of the prior A-B learning, namely, the number of anticipation trials: one to eight trials respectively. All Ss learned the second A-Br list to the criterion of five anticipation trials. The results (Table 4) showed that associative interference increased up to the point where the first list had been learned to three anticipation trials, and then decreased as the degree of the prior learning increased. Now, a signifi cant associative facilitation was found for the highest overtrained group. The overt intrusions failed to show a consistently increasing trend.The findings were interpreted in accordance with our two-factor theory of learning; that is, specific S-R connections in the first list have negative effects on the learning of the second list, while general learning sets facilitate it. They were discussed in connection with our previous study and the relationship between the data obtained under the performance criterion (Exp. I) and those under the trial criterion (Exp. II) were considered. Other theories of learning or transfer of training were stated in relation to our theory. It was suggested that both extinction of A-B responses and acgisition of A-Br responses might be included in the process of A-Br learning.