Mediated Generalization and Stimulus Equivalence

Christoffer Eilifsen,Erik Arntzen

doi:10.1007/s40614-021-00281-3

Christoffer Eilifsen, Erik Arntzen

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-021-00281-3

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Abstract

From the 1930s to the 1970s a large number of experimental studies on mediated generalization were published, and this research tradition provided an important context for early research on stimulus equivalence. Mediated generalization and stimulus equivalence have several characteristics in common, notably that both traditions seek to experimentally investigate derived responding among arbitrarily related stimuli in human participants. Although studies of stimulus equivalence are currently being regularly published, few studies investigate mediated generalization in humans today, and the research tradition is mainly of historical interest. The current article will give an account of the origin, the development, and the demise of research on mediated generalization, including a presentation of publication trends, experimental methodology, and the conceptual context research on mediated generalization took place within. Finally, some thoughts on the demise of mediated generalization and its relevance for modern research on stimulus equivalence and other types of derived responding are presented, including reflections on the observability of explanatory variables and the use of inferential statistics.

Highlights

From the 1930s to the 1970s a large number of experimental studies on mediated generalization were published, and this research tradition provided an important context for early research on stimulus equivalence
One such tradition that was the study of mediated generalization or mediated associations (Earhard & Mandler, 1965; Jenkins, 1963; Kjeldergaard, 1968), and research from this tradition is commonly cited in early papers on stimulus equivalence (Lazar, 1977; Sidman & Cresson, 1973; Sidman, Cresson, & WillsonMorris, 1974)
Differs from modern research on stimulus equivalence and related types of derived responding in important ways and this seems at least partly related to the conceptual context within which the research took place

Summary

Introduction

From the 1930s to the 1970s a large number of experimental studies on mediated generalization were published, and this research tradition provided an important context for early research on stimulus equivalence. When Sidman introduced and started developing a research program on stimulus equivalence in 1970s and 1980s, this was done in the context of other traditions studying derived responding among arbitrarily related stimuli (Sidman, 1971; Sidman & Tailby, 1982) One such tradition that was the study of mediated generalization or mediated associations (Earhard & Mandler, 1965; Jenkins, 1963; Kjeldergaard, 1968), and research from this tradition is commonly cited in early papers on stimulus equivalence (Lazar, 1977; Sidman & Cresson, 1973; Sidman, Cresson, & WillsonMorris, 1974). After establishing relations between stimuli in a set A and responses in a set B, followed by the establishment of relations between stimuli in the same set B and responses in a set C, mediated generalization will be considered present if this leads to an improvement in the learning of relations between stimulus set A and response set C due to the mediation of stimuli and/or responses of set B

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