Transposition with minimal errors during training trials

Abstract

Twenty-six Ss were trained to respond to the larger of two stimulus squares under a procedure whereby the smaller, unrewarded stimulus was faded in, starting with a 2 10 - inch line and increasing in 30 equal increments until it was completed on the last training trial. One S verbalized the principle of “bigger than” in explaining her choice of the larger stimulus. Of the remaining 25 Ss, 18 completed the training series while making only one or less responses to the unrewarded stimulus. These Ss were divided into three groups and treated under the following schedule: Group I—immediate transposition test; Group II—15 additional training trials with both stimuli complete, followed by the transposition test; and Group III—30 additional training trials with both stimuli complete, followed by the transposition test. The seven Ss who made two or more errors on the original 30 fading-in trials made up a fourth group that was tested immediately after the training series. The Ss in all groups showed a significant tendency to transpose. The present results, like other findings cited herein, demonstrated certain conditions under which Spence's theory of transposition does not appear to hold for human Ss.