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In conditional discrimination, sample stimuli act as occasion setters, not as part of a stimulus-response chain. Experiments show that presenting samples alone does not impair performance, supporting the occasion-setting hypothesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Learning Theory
  • Animal Cognition

Background:

  • Conditional discrimination involves a sample stimulus signaling which comparison stimulus is reinforced.
  • Two main hypotheses exist: stimulus-response chain (Hull) vs. occasion setter (Skinner).
  • The role of the sample stimulus in conditional discrimination is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically test whether sample stimuli in conditional discrimination function as part of a stimulus-response chain or as occasion setters.
  • To differentiate between Hull's and Skinner's hypotheses regarding sample stimulus function.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using conditional discrimination training.
  • Experiment 1: Vertical/horizontal line samples, red/green comparison stimuli. Samples presented alone (with/without reinforcement).
  • Experiment 2: Houselights as samples. Samples presented alone without reinforcement.

Main Results:

  • Presenting samples without comparison stimuli had minimal impact on conditional discrimination accuracy in both experiments.
  • This outcome was consistent regardless of whether reinforcement was provided when samples were presented alone.

Conclusions:

  • The results strongly support Skinner's hypothesis that sample stimuli in conditional discrimination function as occasion setters.
  • The findings indicate that samples set the occasion for selecting the correct comparison stimulus rather than forming a direct stimulus-response chain.