Formation of Partially and Fully Elaborated Generalized Equivalence Classes

Abstract

Most complex categories observed in real-world settings consist of perceptually disparate stimuli, such as a picture of a person's face, the person's name as written, and the same name as heard, as well as dimensional variants of some or all of these stimuli. The stimuli function as members of a single partially or fully elaborated generalized equivalence class when they occasion the mutual selection of each other after the establishment of some subset of relations among the stimuli. Indeed, it is these generalized relations among stimuli that enable an individual to respond appropriately to the inevitable flux of natural environments. The present experiments involved procedures for producing both types of generalized equivalence class and for evaluating their retention. Granting the formal and functional similarities that exist between generalized equivalence classes and natural categories, natural kinds, and fuzzy superordinate classes, the variables responsible for the emergence of the former might also account for the emergence of the latter three phenomena. In Experiment 1, After forming an A'-B' class, a B'-C relation was trained and generalization tests were conducted with B'-C, C-B', A'-C, and C'-A. Two of 5 participants passed the tests documenting the formation of A'-B'-C classes. Failures occurred in the A'-C and C-A' tests but not the B'-C and C-B' tests. Failures were also correlated with time between A'-B' class formation and C-based testing and with the absence of baseline confirmation when training and testing were separated by about one week. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 but presented baseline confirmation probes immediatley prior to testing when training and testing were separated by one week; all participants then formed partially elaborated generalized equivalence classes. In Experiment 3, 5 of 6 participants formed fully elaborated generalized equivalence classes, represented as A' = B' = C'.

Generalization of equivalence relations from photos to objects by preschool children

“…This variability notwithstanding, the results overall showed that learning baseline relations with 2D stimuli (digital photos) could be followed by emergence of equivalence relations with corresponding 3D stimuli (objects) and other 2D–3D and 3D–2D relational matching (printed photo–object and object–printed photo). Thus, this study contributes substantial new data in support of and extending (i.e., to 3D stimuli) the findings of prior behavior analytic research with normally capable adults (Fields & Moss, ; Fields & Reeve, ; Fields et al, ; Sigurðardóttir, Mackay, & Green, ) to preschool children. The data suggest that equivalence generalization is not restricted by the dimensional nature of the stimuli that are trained during baseline; in other words, perceptual classes (Fields & Reeve, ) may consist of 3D stimuli even when only 2D stimuli are used in baseline training.…”

“…As line lengths increased from 8 to 18 units, the degree of stimulus control over A1 selection decreased, and the participants gradually selected A2 instead of A1. Other studies have also demonstrated this generalization gradient; as physical variations increase, the probability of a variant being included in the equivalence class decreases (Fields & Moss, ; Fields, Reeve, Adams, Brown, & Verhave, ).…”

Assessment of the Relatedness of Equivalent Stimuli Through a Semantic Differential

“…Tests of emergent relations conducted with matching-to-sample procedures could not reveal such differences: Matching tests can reveal the presence of an emergent relation but not any possible difference in the degree of relatedness. Different degrees of relatedness can be revealed, however, by other measures, such as latency (Fields & Moss, 2008) or transfer of functions (Fields & Watanabe-Rose, 2008). The methodology described here seems to be very sensitive to revealing such effects.…”

“…The referents simulated in this study were members of perceptual classes (e.g., Fields & Moss, 2008;. The stimuli designated as A1, A2, and A3 were not individual stimuli; rather, each comprised four pictures of faces, with each face belonging to a different person.…”

The Gradual Extinction of Transferred Avoidance Stimulus Functions

“…Fields & Moss, 2008). Differences in response to stimuli whose contingent relation is direct or derived might be of relevance in applied settings (e.g., Dymond & Roche, 2009) as well as basic research (e.g., Dymond & Rehfeldt, 2000).…”