Effects Of Overtraining Research Articles

Attentional processes in overtraining.

The effects of overtraining were examined using two dependent variables, choice response and eye fixations. Although an overtraining reversal effect was nor found using choice-response, examinations of a number of eye fixations both before and after reversal suggest that the introduction of reversal training produces greater shifts in attention in the overtrained ( n = 6) as opposed to the criterion trained group ( n = 6). Results are interpreted as supporting a theory of discrimination learning which proposes that S is developing a plan in which inputs are tested or compared against some centrally organized process.

The effects of cue salience and overtraining on extradimensional shift learning

Rats were first trained to criterion with either more disparate (MD) or less disparate (LD) brightness cues relevant and orientation cues irrelevant; half were then shifted to the orientation discrimination and half were overtrained prior to the shift. For nonovertrained Ss, there was a trend toward more rapid EDS learning when previous training was with the MD brightness cues. Overtraining significantly facilitated shift learning when initial training was with the LD brightness cues but slightly retarded shift learning when initial training was with the MD brightness cues, producing a significant interaction. Cue salience was concluded to be a major determiner of relative speed of EDS learning.

Some effects of novelty and overtraining on the reversal learning of retardates

Three experiments were conducted on retardates to assess the effects of the introduction of novel stimuli along an irrelevant dimension during a reversal, of different amounts of training, and of delay of reversal. It was found that the introduction of novel irrelevant stimuli (1) interrupts first-trial perseverative choice responding when Ss have received minimal amounts of training but not when a strong criterion or overtraining is used, and (2) increases the latencies of responses to other stimuli along the relevant dimension. The ORE was found when a 24-hour period intervened between training and reversal but not when reversal immediately followed training.

Effect of Deprivation Level and Overtraining on Differential Conditioning and Reversal

60 rats received 60 or 204 differential instrumental conditioning trials under 3-, 19- or 43-hr. water deprivation, followed by 60 reversal trials. In early acquisition speeds to both S+ and S—were greater with increased deprivation, but the subsequent onset of differentiation was most rapid in groups run at 43-hr. deprivation, this produced by their slower running to S—. Reversal performance was but little affected by deprivation, not was there any interaction between deprivation level and amount of prior training in the determination of reversal performance. Reversal performance was related to amount of prior training in a complicated fashion depending on the stimulus, the point of response measurement and the stage of training: First, number of prior reinforcements increased both start and run speeds to the old positive stimulus in early reversal but had no effect on start speeds and decreased run speeds in later reversal; second, number of prior non-reinforcements did not affect speed acquisition to the new positive stimulus.

Nonoutcome trial behavior: A predictory of solution shift performance and the effects of overtraining.

Nonoutcome trial behavior: A predictory of solution shift performance and the effects of overtraining.

Effects of overtraining and overt verbalization on discrimination shifts in retarded children

Effects of overtraining and overt verbalization on discrimination shifts in retarded children

Transfer-activated response sets: Effect of overtraining and percentage of items shifted on a verbal discrimination shift.

Transfer-activated response sets: Effect of overtraining and percentage of items shifted on a verbal discrimination shift.

The effects of overtraining and delay on reversal and nonreversal shifts in kindergarten children

Kindergarten children were randomly assigned to one of eight treatment conditions in a 2 by 2 by 2 factorial design involving reversal and nonreversal shifts, criterion and overtraining, and immediate and delayed shifts. The problems were composed of a two-choice discrimination involving shape or brightness. A reversal shift consisted of shifting from the positive to the negative cue within a dimension, and a non-reversal shift consisted of shifting to a different dimension. The only significant finding was that the 24-h delay between training and transfer trials improved performance in the other conditions. Possible explanations for these findings were offered.

Effects of overtraining and irrelevant stimuli on successive position reversals in rats

Three groups of rats were given a series of 15 successive position reversals: one group without irrelevant stimuli; one, with one irrelevant dimension; and one, with two irrelevant dimensions. Half of the Ss in each group received 100 overtraining trials before each reversal and the remaining, zero trials. There was a large learning set effect. Overtraining retarded the early and facilitated the later reversals. The effects of irrelevant stimuli were to increase both the interfering and facilitating effects of overtraining, although not significantly in the case of the latter.

Effects of verbal response and overtraining on optional shift in children

The present experiment was so designed as to test the hypothesis that the intradimensional shifts during optional shifts would be facilitated by verbal responses to the discriminanda as well as overtraining trials in initial discrimination task.A 2×2×3 factorial design was used, which incorporated two (color and form) dimensions, verbal and nonverbal responses, and 3 levels of initial overtraining. The Ss were 192 kindergarten children of the mean age of five years and three months, who were assigned to any of 12 cells equated in age and sex. They were given two-dimensional, simultaneous discrimination tasks as shown in Fig. 1. Throughout the experiment, half of the Ss was required to respond to discriminanda using verbal expression (verbalization group), while the remaining Ss were instructed to point out stimulus cards with fingers (nonverbalization group). The correct responses were informed by saying “Hit”, and the incorrect responses by “Miss”. Initial discrimination tasks were learned up to three training levels respectively: the criterion of nine correct out of 10 successive trials (no overtraining), additional 10 overtraining trials after the criterion, and additional 30 overtraining trials after the criterion. Then, the Ss were trained on an optional shift task to nine correct out of 10 successive trials. The test discrimination task consisting of 18 stimulus cards was presented in order to determine whether the optional shift had been intradimensional or extradimensional.The main findings were that (a) there was no significant difference in initial discrimination performance between verbalization and nonvervalization groups (Table 1), (b) intradimensional shift was facilitated in terms of verbal responses and overtraining, but the overtraining effect was somewhat due to the performance of verbalization group (Tables 4 and 5), (c) The order of the percentage of intradimensionally shifted Ss was relevant verbalization group, nonverbalization group, and irrelevant verbalization group, (Tables 5 and 6), and (d) faster learners of initial discrimination tasks performed intradimensional shifts more easily than slower learners.The results were discussed in relation to previous studies, mediating response theories, and dimensional preferences.

Overtraining, extinction and shift in discrimination learning in children

The purpose of the present experiment was to ask whether the ease of post-shift discrimination learning after overtraining was related to the rate of extinction of original responses or to the mediating verbal or attentional process to the relevant dimension, as was proposed by twostage theorists of discrimination learning (e.g., Kendler & Kendler, 1962; Mackintosh, 1965).A 2×2 factorial design was used, with two degrees of original discrimination learning and two types of shift (reversal and nonreversal). In each of the four groups, extinction trials were inserted between original and shift problems. The Ss were young children ranged in age from four to six years, who were divided into each of four groups equating in age and sex. They were trained on a twodimensional (color and form), simultaneous discrimination task either to a criterion of nine correct responses out of 10 successive trials or to additional 30 overtraining trials after the criterion. Then, the Ss were subjected to extinction of the original responses until the successive perseverative responses to S+ were extinguished and additional four extinction trials were further given. Shift discrimination was continued without further instructions to a criterion of nine correct responses out of 10 successive trials. The correct responses were reinforced by saying “Hit”, but no information was given after the incorrect responses under both discrimination learnings. In the extinction phase no information was given after each response.The main findings were summarized as follows;(a) Performances during the extinction trials were not influenced by the overtraining of original discrimination (Table 2).(b) No significant correlation was found between rate of extinction and ease of shift discrimination.(c) No significant effect of overtraining was found in case of reversal shift, while nonreversal shift was hindered by the overtraining of original discrimination (Table 3).(d) Fast learners in the original discrimination extinguished their original esponses more slowly than slow learners.(e) Reversal shift was faster than nonreversal shift for the fast learners, but a difference in rate of both shifts was negligible for the slow learners (Table 4).The findings were discussed with reference to two-stage theories of discrimination learning, especially with respect to the Kendlers' mediating response theory and the Mackintosh's attention theory.

Effects of overtraining and two non-correction training procedures upon a brightness discrimination reversal

The effects of overlearning and two non-correction training procedures upon the reversal of a black-white discrimination task were investigated. Overtraining and the Non-Entry pro­ cedure facilitated reversal learning. Experiments concerned with learning in a simul­ taneous discrimination task have used two types of non-correction training procedures. In the Entry (E) procedure an incorrect response is usually defined in terms of the rats entry into the (unbaited) goal­ box associated with S-. In the Non-Entry (NE) pro­ cedure an incorrect response is usually defined in terms of the rats entry into a pre-goal area and/or the pushing against S-, typically a locked door. The E procedure was used by Paul & Havlena (1965) and versions of the NE procedure were used by Reid (1953) and Mackintosh (1963). Hence in the E procedure S enters a goal box following either a correct or an in­ correct response, whereas in the NE procedure S enters a goal box only following a correct response. A group trained under the E procedure and then given reversal training faces non-reinforcement of the pre­ viously correct response; whereas a group trained under the NE procedure is blocked or prevented from making the originally correct response or response chain. On the basis of this observation Paul (1965) speculated that the inconsistent findings with regard to the effect of post-critical trials upon discrimination reversal might be due, in part, to the described differences in training procedures. The present experiment was de­ signed to test the effects of overtraining upon discrim­ ination reversal under the two types of training pro­ cedures. Mefhod Subjects. Thirty-two male albino rats, weighing about 230 gm on their arrival from Charles River Breeding Laboratories, served as Ss.2 Apparatus. A T-maze with a 10-in. gray stem and 20-in. arms was usee:. The maze was 4 in. wide, 5 in. high and covered with wire screening. One arm of the T, up to the center of the choice region was painted white; the other half of the choice region and the other arm was painted black. Twelve and three-quarter in. from the end of each arm there was a one-way swinging door painted the same color as the arm in which it was located. These doors could be locked to prevent S from pushing through them. A small goal dish was attached to the inner end wall of each arm, and was painted the

Reversal learning in rats as a function of the type of discrimination and the criterion of learning

Summary Rats were given ten T-maze reversals while criterion of learning (eight out of ten correct with last five consecutive; twelve consecutive correct; thirty consecutive correct) and type of discrimination (spatial v. non-spatial) were varied. Results showed no effects of overtraining and no significant decrease in errors over reversals in non-spatial group. Analysis of the situation was made in terms of simultaneous and successive non-spatial learning

Human successive discrimination reversal: Effects of overtraining and reinforcement

The overtraining reversal effect (ORE) was found in a human successive discrimination task. Two types of reinforcement were used, with three levels of training on the original problem. The ORE appeared with the first level of overtraining and then became practically asymptotic with additional overtraining.

Effects of overtraining, irrelevant stimuli, and training task on reversal discrimination learning in children

In Exp. I the effects of overtraining, number of variable irrelevant dimensions, and type of two-choice simultaneous discrimination task on the reversal learning of second-grade children were investigated. Overtraining facilitated reversal learning for color and form (nonspatial) discriminations and had only a slight effect on spatial discriminations. Increasing the number of irrelevant dimensions enhanced, although not significantly, the overtraining reversal effect (ORE) found with nonspatial problems. In Exp. 2 kindergarten children were tested on a spatial discrimination with either zero or two irrelevant dimensions and then administered a reversal shift with half of the Ss receiving overtraining on Problem 1. Two irrelevant dimensions retarded original learning and overtraining retarded reversal learning. The data were interpreted as being consistent with mediational models of discrimination learning provided certain assumptions concerning the perceptual dominance of positional cues were made.

Effects of overtraining and age on intradimensional and extradimensional shifts in children

Ninety-six kindergarten and 96 second-grade children were trained on a two-choice simultaneous discrimination with either color relevant and form irrelevant and variable or the converse. After reaching criterion, half of the Ss received 50 overtraining trials prior to presentation of Problem 2, while the remaining Ss received Problem 2 without overtraining on Problem 1. Problem 2, composed of all new stimuli, had either the same relevant dimension as Problem 1, intradimensional (ID) shift, or had as the relevant dimension the previously irrelevant dimension, extradimensional (ED) shift. Age had a significant effect on Problem 1 but not on Problem 2. The transfer data supported a mediational or two-stage interpretation of discriminative learning in that ID shifts were learned significantly faster than ED shifts and overtraining reliably improved performance. There was no Age × Shift interaction, indicating that younger children utilized some mediational process, dimensional in nature, as effectively as did older children.

The overtraining reversal effect under two types of discrimination

The effects of overtraining were examined under both simultaneous and successive discrimination training. A significant overtraining reversal effect (ORE) was found. Further examination revealed a trend toward an ORE in the simultaneous condition which failed to reach significance and a significant ORE in the successive condition. Ss were 40, six to seven year old children. The ORE is examined in light of Lovejoy’s (1966) mathematical model.

The Effect of Overtraining and Repeated Extinctions on Speed of Extinction in Electrical Self-Stimulation

Fourteen rats with hypothalamic electrodes needed at least 3,000 reinforcements in self-stimulation before extinction scores reached their peak. In a series of up to 36 further extinctions and reconditionings, involving a total of 10,500 reinforcements, extinction scores fell to the extreme low values typical of self-stimulation. The extent of this fall was shown to depend on the number of extinctions administered, but not on the number of reinforcements, indicating that a process of conditioned inhibition may be partially responsible for rapid extinction after self-stimulation.

THE EFFECT OF OVERTRAINING ON A NONREVERSAL SHIFT IN OCTOPUS.

Abstract : Sixteen oxtopuses were trained on an orientation discrimination, half of them being trained to criterion only, the other half being given 100 over-training trials. Then they were shifted to a shape discrimination. This discrimination was learned significantly faster by nonovertrained animals as compared with overtrained animals. Because octopuses as well as rats benefit from overtraining when learning a reversal, the present results indicate that overtraining on one discrimination has an effect on the learning of a second discrimination that is determined by the relationship between the dimensions involved in the two discriminations. (Author)

Effect of Overtraining on Reversal and Nonreversal Shifts in Nursery School Children

Effect of Overtraining on Reversal and Nonreversal Shifts in Nursery School Children