Alternate Title

Comparing two procedures to teach conditional discriminations: simple discriminations with and without S-stimuli present

Advisor(s)

Paula Braga-Kenyon

Contributor(s)

Chata Dickson, Meca Andrade

Date of Award

2011

Date Accepted

5-2011

Degree Grantor

Northeastern University

Degree Level

M.S.

Degree Name

Master of Applied Behavior Analysis

Department or Academic Unit

Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology

Keywords

behavioral sciences, autism, behavior analysis

Subject Categories

Discrimination learning

Disciplines

Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms

Abstract

The present study systematically replicated Gutierrez et al. (2009) in which two methods of teaching a conditional auditory-visual discrimination were examined. Gutierrez evaluated relations taught either with or without an S- stimulus present during teaching. After teaching, a test of conditional discrimination was performed with all the taught relations. The authors found that sessions to mastery of the conditional discrimination were slightly higher for relations taught with S- stimuli. Although Gutierrez et al. used auditory-visual relations and only two stimuli as comparison stimuli, the author of the present study taught visual-visual relations (state names to state pictures) and three comparison stimuli. In this study, participants reached the mastery criterion for simple discriminations in fewer sessions when S- stimuli were not present; however, during the conditional discrimination task, participants emitted more correct responses when presented with the relations that had been taught in the presence of S- stimuli.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights Holder

Lindsey M. Ryan


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