Abstract

BUENO CUADRA, Roberto. Effects of Varying the Second-order Stimuli Through Trials on the Acquisition and Transfer in a Conditional Discrimination Task. Rev. mex. anál. conducta [online]. 2008, vol.34, n.2, pp.192-219. ISSN 0185-4534.

The effect of three conditions of variation of the second-order stimuli (SOSi) across trials in a conditional discrimination task was investigated in human adult participants. The conditions were: (a) no variation; (b) partial variation (only in shape and color); and (c) total variation (in shape, color, size and filling weft). Identity and difference relations were examined. Each group received only a single combination of type of relation and type of SOSi variation. For all groups there were four Phases: baseline (A); training with a new set of sample and comparison stimuli and feedback (B); intramodal transfer test with the same sample and comparison stimuli of the Phase A (C); and extramodal transfer test (D). The partial and total variation conditions generated the highest percentages of correct responses in Phases B and C, but only in some participants from the identity groups in these two conditions evidence of extramodal transfer was clearly attained. These results suggest that a greater variety of the SOSi facilitates the discrimination of the relation between these stimuli and, this way, the development of abstract performances in this kind of tasks.

Keywords : Conditional discrimination; second-order stimuli; matching to sample; identity; difference; rules; transfer; adults.

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