A procedure to effectively and efficiently train moderately and severely retarded individuals to make fine visual discriminations is described. Results suggest that expectancies for such individuals are in need of examination. Implications for sheltered workshops, work activity centers and classrooms are discussed. [This article appeared…

The learning of the relations between discriminative stimuli, choice actions, and their outcomes can be characterized as conditional discriminative choice learning. Research shows that the technique of presenting unique outcomes for specific cued choices leads to faster and more accurate learning of such relations and has great potential to be…

The study involving three mentally retarded children (7 to 10 years old) compared the effectiveness of preventing incorrect responses with allowing trial and error responses to a set of verbal instructions. Data provided further evidence for the notion of errorless discrimination learning. (SB)

Immediate discriminative control by spoken words was examined in a profoundly retarded, mute young man. Procedures suggested a potentially errorless, efficient teaching method for individuals without fundamental language. (Author/SB)

The study compared the effectiveness of a traditional training procedure (least-to-most restrictive prompt sequence) and a prescriptive training procedure (utilizing ongoing behavioral assessment data to identify discriminative stimuli) with four severely/multiply handicapped students (ages 11-19). Results indicated both procedures were effective…

Two experiments with five individuals having severe mental retardation identified some problems and limits in training reversals of previously learned discrimination tasks using stimulus control shaping methodology. (DB)

The problem of teaching relational discriminations to people with mental retardation is examined. The limitations of several commonly used teaching procedures are discussed and alternative approaches to simple-discrimination learning are described. Results of two preliminary single-subject studies demonstrating the feasibility of these approaches…

Simple discriminations are involved in many functional skills; additionally, they are components of conditional discriminations (identity and arbitrary matching-to-sample), which are involved in a wide array of other important performances. Many individuals with severe disabilities have difficulty acquiring simple discriminations with standard…

The study investigated the effect of information responsiveness in relation to training in feedback utilization on discrimination learning among 77 preschool children (ages four and five years). (Author/PHR)

Eighty-two educable and trainable mentally retarded children (6-18 years old) judged whether a series of visual stimuli matched a standard. With each judgment the investigator verbalized "right" or "wrong" and then provided full feedback of cue similarities and differences that supported each judgment. Trained Ss exhibited total intradimensional…

This response to Chandler et al. (EC 604 147) suggests that generalization of social competence training be viewed from both functional and topographical perspectives which have scientific and practice biases, respectively. The paper proposes a generalization-discrimination continuum along which behaviors may be placed for optimum utility. (DB)

Because disabled learners may profit from procedures using gradual stimulus change, this study utilized a microcomputer to investigate the effectiveness of stimulus equalization, an error reduction procedure involving an abrupt but temporary reduction of dimensional complexity. The procedure was found to be generally effective and implications for…

Efficiency of three discrimination training procedures was compared for 21 mentally handicapped children. Results showed that two programmed techniques (graded stimulus and prompt fading) did not differ significantly, but both were significantly superior to trial-and-error learning. (Author/CL)