Complex Stimuli in Nonreinforced Simple Discrimination Tasks: Emergent Simple and Conditional Discriminations

Abstract

This study examined whether nonreinforced contiguous presentation of visual stimuli by means of complex stimuli in a simple discrimination context would lead to emergent simple and conditional relations between the complex elements. Eight preschool children were taught identity-matching with four different colors and two simple discrimination tasks, A1/A2 and A3/A4 with, for example, A1 and A3 being correct and A2 and A4 incorrect. Initially, probes were given with color-shape complex stimuli: [A1B1]/[A2B2] and [A3B3]/[A4B4]. When children consistently selected a complex stimulus on each probe, for example [A1B1] and [A3B3], probes were given with shapes only: B1/B2 and B3/B4. When children consistently selected B1 and B3, for example, arbitrary-matching probes were given that presented single colors (A stimuli) and shapes (B stimuli) as samples and comparisons (A-B and B-A probes). On these probes, the sample and comparisons were elements of either previous designated S+ or S− complex stimuli. For example, with sample A1 or A3, comparisons B1 and B3 were presented (elements of previous S+ complex stimuli). With sample A2 or A4, comparisons B2 and B4 were presented (elements of previous S− complex stimuli). The results for six subjects on A-B and B-A arbitrary-matching probes showed that the nonreinforced contiguous presentation of A and B is not restricted to a matching-to-sample context for generating conditional relations between corresponding elements of complex stimuli. Finally, an attempt is made to identify the conditions under which conditional relations between the elements of complex stimuli are likely to occur.