Conditional discrimination acquisition in young children : are the facilitative of naming due to stimulus discrimination?

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Anne K. Stull (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
Mark Galizio

Abstract: These experiments investigate whether the facilitative effect of naming on the acquisition of conditional discriminations in young children is due to enhancing discrimination of the sample and comparison stimuli or whether naming serves additional functions. Seventeen typically developing children, ages 4 to 6, were presented with a three-choice arbitrary MTS AB conditional discrimination on Macintosh computers. The participants were randomly selected to be in one of two sequences of conditions. The conditions utilized in Experiment 1 were Tacting Condition 1 (naming sample stimuli); Tacting Condition 2 (naming sample and comparison stimuli); Tally Sheet Condition 1 (marking sample stimuli); and Tally Sheet Condition 2 (marking sample and comparison stimuli). The conditions utilized in Experiment 2 were Tacting Condition 1; Tacting Condition 2; Cards Condition 1 (pointing to sample stimuli); and Cards Condition 2 (pointing to sample and comparison stimuli). Five participants acquired the AB conditional discrimination; two did so without exposure to naming and without evidence of common naming, and three did so with the addition of common naming. One participant demonstrated evidence of common naming but did not acquire the AB conditional discrimination. These results demonstrate that although naming can facilitate acquisition, it is neither necessary nor sufficient.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters of Arts
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Conditioned response, Response consistency
Subjects
Conditioned response
Response consistency

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