Effects of Multiple Exemplar Training on the Emergence of Derived Relations in Preschool Children Learning a Second Language

Abstract

We evaluated the facilitative effects of multiple exemplar training (MET) on the establishment of derived tact relations in typically developing children. A multiple-probe design across stimulus sets was implemented to introduce MET. Participants were first taught to conditionally relate dictated names in English to their corresponding objects (listener behavior; A-B relations), followed by tests for derived tacts (B-A relations). If participants failed these tests, MET was implemented whereby tact relations were explicitly taught with novel stimulus sets, followed by test probes with the original training set. MET continued with novel stimuli until participants met criterion for the emergence of derived tact relations or after exposure to three MET sets. Results indicated failed tests for tact relations following direct training in listener relations, and marked improvements in derived tact relations following MET across all participants.

Examining the Utility of the Stimulus Pairing Observation Procedure With Preschool Children Learning a Second Language

“…The experimenter presented the items in random order and with an ITI of 1 s. Training Set 1 was presented in six trial blocks plus four remedial blocks; Training Set 2 was presented in nine trial blocks plus five remedial blocks; and Training Set 3 was presented in six trial blocks plus seven remedial blocks. The number of SPOP and remedial SPOP trial blocks was yoked to that required for participants with similar characteristics to master the same relations in a previous study that employed a different teaching procedure (Rosales, Rehfeldt, & Lovett, 2011). The same presentation of training and remedial trial blocks was followed for all corresponding MET sets.…”

Effects of Collateral Response Requirements and Exemplar Training on Listener Training Outcomes in Children

“…Recently, a number of investigators have examined the effects of multiple-exemplar training histories on the emergence of vocal tacts following the training of listener relations or other relations that do not involve vocal responding (Greer et al 2005(Greer et al , 2007Luciano et al 2007;Rosales et al 2011). Participants in these studies, who have included both typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities, have been exposed to numerous instances of tact and listener training involving the same stimuli (for example, participants might learn to tact a hat, shoe, shirt, and sock, and simultaneously learn to respond as listeners to the names of these stimuli).…”

Go/no‐go procedure with compound stimuli with children with autism

“…Although failing to accurately perform during equivalence tests is not an unusual outcome with this population (McLay et al, ), it is possible that failures were related to lack of experience with multiple exemplar instruction for this type of responding (Rosales, Rehfeldt, & Lovett, ), poor verbal skills (Lee, Miguel, Darcey, & Jennings, ), or simply a product of prolonged testing conditions in the absence of reinforcement. The inclusion of symmetry tests served to verify whether participants had the prerequisite relation for equivalence (Sidman, ).…”