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Evaluating merger and intersection of equivalence classes with one member in common
Harry A Mackay1, Krista M Wilkinson, Colleen Farrell
1Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Waltham, MA 02452, USA. Harry.Mackay@umassmed.edu
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|July 19, 2011
Summary
Researchers investigated how overlapping stimulus sets form categories, finding that class intersection, not merger, consistently occurs. This applies to both familiar and laboratory-generated stimuli, clarifying category formation principles.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Stimulus Control
Background:
- Overlapping stimulus members can lead to class merger or intersection.
- Understanding category formation is crucial for behavioral analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate conditions leading to class merger versus intersection.
- To examine stimulus control in multiple-selection matching-to-sample tasks.
Main Methods:
- Developed a multiple-selection, matching-to-sample test.
- Used familiar stimuli (dogs, birds) and laboratory-generated stimuli.
- Assigned participants to different training conditions.
Main Results:
- Participants consistently demonstrated class intersection, not merger.
- Results held true for both familiar and novel stimuli.
- Training conditions did not significantly alter the intersection outcome.
Conclusions:
- Class intersection is a reliable outcome in complex conditional discriminations.
- Findings elucidate conditions for establishing category-like stimulus classes.
- Verbal history may influence, but does not solely determine, class formation.
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