Training intraverbal bidirectional naming to establish generalized equivalence class performances

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Equivalence classes are a key concept in understanding complex learning.
• Tact and intraverbal behaviors are crucial for language development and generalization.
• Previous research has explored methods for establishing these classes, but generalization remains a focus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of tact and intraverbal training on generalized equivalence class formation.
• To assess the role of trained and emergent intraverbal relations in establishing these classes.
• To control for potential confounding effects of baseline stimulus-stimulus relations.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments involving 17 college students.
• Utilized tact training, listener testing, and intraverbal training (A'B', B'C').
• Employed visual-visual matching-to-sample and intraverbal tests to assess equivalence class formation and generalization.

Main Results:

• Thirteen out of 17 participants successfully passed all posttests, indicating successful equivalence class formation.
• A significant finding was that participants struggled with matching-to-sample posttests when trained or emergent intraverbal relations were compromised.
• Generalization was assessed using four novel stimulus sets.

Conclusions:

• Tact and intraverbal training can effectively establish generalized equivalence classes.
• The integrity of intraverbal relations is critical for successful generalization and performance on related tasks.
• Findings have implications for understanding language acquisition and the structure of learned knowledge.