Verbal discrimination task performance as a function of self versus external reinforcement, I-E scale performance, and subject versus experimenter determination of response.

Abstract

Summary One hundred forty-four subjects dichotomized as internal or external on the I-E scale were randomly assigned to one of three reinforcement conditions-no reinforcement, self-reinforcement, or external reinforcement-and one of three subject determination of the correct response conditions-0%, 50%, or 100%. Trials to criterion and errors to criterion on a complex verbal discrimination task were the dependent variables. The results demonstrated that self-reinforcement influenced learning to a greater degree than no reinforcement. Further, when subjects were allowed to determine 100% of the correct responses, the effects of self-reinforcement paralleled the effects of external reinforcement. When subjects determined 50% or 0% of the correct responses, the self-reinforcement and no reinforcement conditions did not differ in influencing overall rate of learning. Internals made significantly fewer errors than externals.