The Effect of Multiple Discrimination Training on Pitch-Matching Behaviors of Uncertain Singers

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of multiple discrimination training on vocal pitch-matching and instrumental pitch-matching behaviors, and on the aural music achievement test scores of uncertain singers. Eighty fourth- and fifth-grade students served as the subjects. Multiple discrimination training is a paradigm for concept teaching, during which care is taken to insure that the responses to a concept are controlled by the essential characteristics of the concept rather than by the irrelevant characteristics. The specific multiple discrimination training given to two of the four treatment groups consisted of presenting concept instances in the form of five pitches used as criteria in the pretest while varying the irrelevant characteristics of duration, timbre, and intensity. The procedure for shaping remained constant for all four treatment groups. Each student was reinforced for successive approximations to the correct pitch. Results of this study show that multiple discrimination training, added to successive approximation techniques, is appropriate as a standard part of training for uncertain singers.