VERBAL MEDIATION IN FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Abstract

The present study determined whether 4-year-old children would use experimentally acquired verbal mediators when learning a picture pairedassociate task. The experimental Ss learned 3 lists which conformed to the simple 3-stage chaining paradigm (A-B, B-C, A-C), while the control Ss learned lists conforming to the A-B, D-C, A-C paradigm. The study-test method of training was employed. Study trials on the third list were presented at either a 3-second, or a 6-second rate. Analysis of total correct responses over 6 trials of List III learning revealed significant facilitation in the experimental group relative to the control group. Contrary to prediction, Ss receiving a 3-second study trial rate on List III made more correct responses on that list than did Ss receiving the 6-second rate. The prediction of a greater E-C difference for the 6-second group than the 3-second group was not confirmed, which indicated that rate did not affect amount of mediation in the present study. Several investigators (e.g., Bugelski & Scharlock, 1952; Horton & Kjeldergaard, 1961) have used the three-stage chaining paradigm (Jenkins, 1963) to demonstrate verbal mediation in adults. In this paradigm, three successive paired-associate lists are learned. The stimulus and response items of these three lists can be represented as A-B, B-C, and A-C for Lists I, II, and III, respectively. In the learning of List I, A becomes associated with B. In List II, B becomes associated with C. A mediation analysis predicts that learning the common B term to both A and C should facilitate the learning of the A-C pairs in List III relative to an A-B, D-C, A-C control.