Abstract
Background/Objective: Blocking occurs when previous conditioning with one stimulus reduces, or blocks, conditioning to a second redundant stimulus added later in training or conditioning procedures. Previous research has suggested that blocking may occur during equivalence class formation. Although both match-to-sample and respondent-type training have been used to establish equivalence classes, blocking has only been studied using match to sample procedures. Previous research on blocking in equivalence class formation did not utilize control groups, limiting the conclusions drawn from those studies. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to compare match-to-sample and respondent-type training for their susceptibility to blocking in three-member equivalence classes using control conditions. Method: A total of 27 participants were exposed to match-to-sample or respondent-type training procedures to form equivalence classes using a linear series training structure. Within each training procedure, one group of participants was exposed to a blocking condition and one was not. Results: Results indicated that the blocking did not occur for the 4 of 6 participants who formed equivalence classes. Patterns of responding that would be expected if blocking occurred were seen in both experimental and control conditions. Conclusions: Results obtained in the current study indicate that some processes other than blocking are involved when stimuli fail to enter equivalence classes. Future research should examine other processes involved when stimuli fail to enter into equivalence classes after training.
Highlights
Stimulus equivalence occurs when several untrained relations between stimuli emerge after direct training of only some relations between them [1]
In the respondent-type training (ReT) training condition, 2 out of 12 participants showed the emergence of equivalence classes, both of whom were in the ReT experimental condition
In the MTS experimental condition, Participant 103 displayed the formation of three 3-member equivalence classes and scores consistent with the blocking effect (M= 91.67 on non-X trials compared to M= 25.92 on trials containing the X stimulus)
Summary
Stimulus equivalence occurs when several untrained relations between stimuli emerge after direct training of only some relations between them [1]. A student may be taught to select a picture of a dog (B) when an instructor presents the (A) auditory stimulus “dog” (A→B relation). The student could be taught to select the printed word “DOG” (C) when presented with the (B) picture of a dog (B→C relation). After this training is complete, a student who formed an equivalence class would be able to label the picture of a dog (B→A), match the printed word “DOG” to the picture of a dog (C→B), to identify the printed word “DOG” when given a spoken name (A→C), and read the printed word “DOG” (C→A) without direct instruction. The emergence of untrained relations during equivalence class formation is important because it provides an objective model to study complex behavioral phenomena such as transfer of function, acquisition of symbolic reasoning, and even false memories [6,7,8]
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