Translate 
Abstract
Abstract Successive matching-to-sample (S-MTS) with a go/no-go response requirement has previously produced equivalence classes with nonverbal auditory stimuli among college students. When participants are required to talk aloud during posttests (protocol analysis), their verbal behavior tends to match their selection performance. However, in some cases, the protocol analysis seems to interfere with posttests, in that equivalence yields are lower when participants are required to talk aloud. Thus, the current study replicated and extended previous research by requiring participants to complete emergence posttests before introducing training for the protocol analysis. Subsequently, participants completed one additional block of the transitivity/equivalence posttest with the talk-aloud requirement. Additionally, participants completed tact and intraverbal tests following emergence posttests to further assess possible verbal-mediation strategies. The results showed that six of eight college students formed equivalence classes, suggesting that previous failures could have been influenced by the talk-aloud requirement. Further, there was a positive correlation between verbal and nonverbal (selection) responses suggesting the possibility that verbal mediation may have contributed to equivalence-class formation.
Highlights
Matching-to-sample (MTS) is commonly used for teaching conditional discriminations in laboratory (Cumming & Berryman, 1965) and clinical settings (Shawler et al, 2023)
Several alternatives to traditional MTS have been developed (e.g., Canovas et al, 2015; Debert et al, 2007; Lantaya et al, 2018). One such alternative is the go/no-go successive matching-to-sample (S-MTS; Frank & Wasserman, 2005) during which selecting the sample causes it to disappear and a comparison to appear in its place
To further investigate whether participants were engaging in verbal mediation during testing, Sordello et al (2024) used a protocol analysis in which eight adult participants who underwent S-MTS training with nonverbal auditory stimuli were instructed to talk aloud during emergence posttests
Summary
Matching-to-sample (MTS) is commonly used for teaching conditional discriminations (e.g., if A1, B1; if A2, B2) in laboratory (Cumming & Berryman, 1965) and clinical settings (Shawler et al, 2023). Hanson and Miguel (2021) and Hanson et al (2022) utilized S-MTS to teach conditional relations with verbal and nonverbal (i.e., common sounds) auditory stimuli. Their results showed that, in addition to establishing equivalence classes among auditory stimuli, adult participants could vocalize stimulus names in a class-consistent manner. To further investigate whether participants were engaging in verbal mediation during testing, Sordello et al (2024) used a protocol analysis in which eight adult participants who underwent S-MTS training with nonverbal (everyday sounds) auditory stimuli were instructed to talk aloud during emergence posttests. Participants completed tact and intraverbal tests following emergence posttests to assess possible verbal-mediation strategies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
