Investigating the Emergence of Equivalent Relationships with Mutually Exclusive Training Structures

ABSTRACT

This study investigated equivalence classes formation from conditional discrimination training structures that correspond to mutually exclusive emerging relationships. A total of 10 college students participated in two experiments. Trained relations were B1A1, B2A2, B3A3, D1C1, D2C2, D3C3, B1C2, B2C1, B3C3, D1A1, D2A2 and D3A3. Relations AC, CA, BD and DB were tested. Experiment II differed from Experiment I in that it included a review of training relations. The results indicated class formation for seven of the 10 participants, without significant differences between the experiments. However, different classes were established for the participants of both experiments, suggesting that the training order was not enough to determine which equivalence classes would be formed.

Keywords:
stimulus equivalence; excluding classes; symbolic behavior; stimulus control