Effects of Mixed Training Structures on Equivalence Class Formation

AVELLANEDA, MATIAS ALEJANDRO; MENENDEZ, JOAQUIN; IORIO, ALBERTO ANDRES; SANCHEZ, FEDERICO JOSE

International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy

Asociación Análisis del Comportamiento

Lugar: Sevilla; Año: 2017 vol. 17 p. 291 - 303

1577-7057

The literature reports differences in performance when subjects are tested for the emergence of derived relations after stimulus equivalences class training, depending on which training structured is used. Comparison-as-node and sample-as-node structures have shown to be more effective in producing the emergence of derived relations than linear series, with inconclusive results about which of the first two structures is more effective. Inter-trial correspondence was manipulated between the stimuli via the use of mixed training structures. 48 subjects were divided in four groups: the first received equivalence-class training using a sample-as-node structure, the second following a comparison-as-node structure, and the other two following a mixed structure with the same nodal density of the central node as the first two. The four groups were taught two five-member equivalence classes with a nodal density of four. Both during training and testing, the performances were higher for the sample-as-node and the comparison-as-node structures, compared to the other two structures. Results are discussed from the lens of hypotheses based on simple-discriminations learning and the role of samples and comparisons.