Role of discriminative stimuli in the formation of functional response classes

Abstract

Chaining and association of responses with discriminative stimuli models were proposed to explain the development of covarying responses from different response classes. This experiment attempted to minimize the chaining model and provide empirical support for the discriminative stimuli model. A transfer of training paradigm involving secondary generalization was used with second-grade and kindergarten Ss. Such conditions as association of responses with common discriminative stimuli, timing of performance of different responses to discriminative stimuli, order in which responses were associated with discriminative stimuli, and age and sex of Ss were studied. Ruling out the chaining model proved impossible, since some of the Ss, although not requested to do so, overtly chained the responses together. More Ss who first associated verbal responses with the discriminative stimuli than Ss who first associated motor responses transferred the untrained responses to the new discriminative stimuli. Second graders learned associations faster than kindergarteners, but an equivalent number of Ss in each age group transferred.