Two groups of kindergarten children received stimulus differentiation training either with feedback (experimental Ss) or without (controls), prior to presentation of a series of discrimination-learning problems using blank-trial probes. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical perspectives derived from Piagetian theory and developmental…

Presents four studies of concept identification behavior in first graders and kindergarten children under the blocking paradigm as implemented within a multidimensional discrimination task. While blocking was observed in children's learning, the data indicate the need for more sensitive and individualized measures of stimulus control in future…

Subjects were tested (118 Down's Syndrome; 108 other mentally handicapped; 123 normal) in a simple discrimination task. Both handicapped groups tended to succeed in matching one card only, in position. The normal group tended to succeed with the full array. Down's Syndrome children tended to adopt a response bias. (Author)

The effect of stimulus novelty, an attentional variable, on learning set acquisition was investigated. Learning set (LS) acquisition refers to an improvement in performance across a series of problems which have a common basis of solution. The design of this study involved two groups, one in which the positive stimulus on Trial 2 involved the…

IN A REPRODUCTION TASK WHICH INCLUDED INSTANCES OF SEVERAL SCHEMATA MIXED TOGETHER, SUBJECTS LEARNED TO DISTINGUISH AMONG THE SCHEMATA WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS. A BEST FITTING EQUATION DESCRIBING PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF NUMBER OF REPRODUCTION TRIALS ACCURATELY PREDICTED LEARNING WITH NEW SUBJECTS AND PATTERNS RANDOMLY SAMPLED FROM A…

In this study of errorless learning a procedure is tested which allows the subject himself to adjust the speed at which a supplementary stimulus aid is withdrawn. A standard match-to-sample apparatus with 1 sample window above and 4 matching (response) windows below was used. Tokens were delivered for correct responses and the correct matching…

Results indicate that dimensional shifting represents some form of nonverbally mediated learning rather than a more limited form of discrimination learning bound to the specific sensory modality of training. (MH)

It is pointed out that interpretation of learning set data will be easier and more informative if one uses a "first-order" problem, that is, one which can be solved on the first trial at the end of training. (Editor)

In Experiment 1, we trained four pigeons to concurrently discriminate displays of 16 same icons (16S) from displays of 16 different icons (16D) as well as between displays of same icons (16S) from displays that contained 15 same icons and one different icon (15S:1D). The birds rapidly learned to discriminate 16S vs. 16D displays, but they failed…

Research based upon a Ph.D. dissertation submitted to the Graduate School, University of Pittsburgh, and supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service grant MH-1290 and by the New York State Research Foundation.