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The development of derived stimulus relations through training in arbitrary-matching sequences
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|July 1, 1983
Summary
Children learned arbitrary matching sequences, demonstrating an ability to derive new relations through stimulus substitution. This suggests early cognitive flexibility and potential for complex learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavior Analysis
Background:
- Understanding how children learn complex relations is crucial for educational strategies.
- Arbitrary matching tasks assess the ability to form stimulus-stimulus associations without inherent connections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if five-year-old children can derive untrained arbitrary matching relations.
- To explore the role of stimulus substitution in emergent relational learning.
Main Methods:
- Children were trained on three-stage arbitrary matching sequences.
- Untrained relations were assessed through unreinforced test probes.
- Stimulus substitution and identity were analyzed as derivation processes.
Main Results:
- Children successfully derived untrained arbitrary matches through substitution.
- Further untrained relations, including commuted relations, were identified via substitution and identity.
- The findings highlight emergent relational learning in young children.
Conclusions:
- Five-year-old children demonstrate the capacity for deriving novel arbitrary relations.
- Stimulus substitution is a key mechanism in this emergent learning.
- These findings have implications for understanding conceptual and verbal behavior development.