Membership of Defined Responses in Stimulus Classes

Stimulus equivalence is defined as the ability to relate stimuli in novel ways after training in which not all of the stimuli had been directly linked to one another. Sidman (2000) suggested all elements of conditional discrimination training contingencies that result in equivalence potentially become class members. Research has demonstrated the inclusion of samples, comparisons, responses, and reinforcers in equivalence classes. Given the evidence that all elements of a conditional discrimination become part of the class, the purpose of this study was to determine if class‐specific prompts would also enter into their relevant equivalence classes. Experiment 1 investigated the inclusion of prompts in an equivalence class using abstract stimuli with neurotypical students enrolled in higher education courses. Experiment 2 systematically replicated Experiment 1 using meaningful stimuli and individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The results of both experiments demonstrated that class‐specific prompts became part of equivalence classes with the other positive elements of the contingency. The results are discussed in terms of class expansion and the potential impact on equivalence‐based instruction.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Expansion of Sidman's theory: The inclusion of prompt stimuli in equivalence classes

Palmer

Maguire

Lionello-Denolf³

et al. 2020

“…The present study was motivated in part to test Sidman's (, ) proposal that the reinforcement contingency itself generates equivalence classes and, more specifically, that under certain baseline conditions, responses will become members of those classes. Shimizu () and Lionello‐DeNolf and Braga‐Kenyon () studied n‐alternative MTS performances in humans and reported data consistent with response membership in stimulus classes. Here, we sought similar evidence in pigeons performing successive matching tasks because they have previously demonstrated emergent stimulus–stimulus relations indicative of class formation in these tasks (e.g., Sweeney & Urcuioli, ; Urcuioli, ; Urcuioli & Swisher, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…The positive results reported by Shimizu () and by Lionello‐DeNolf and Braga‐Kenyon () are theoretically important especially in view of the previous negative or ambiguous findings from the nonhuman animal literature. Encouraged by their results, the present study sought to demonstrate response membership in stimulus classes by pigeons, albeit with a different approach to the definition of responses.…”

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confidence: 89%

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Evidence for Response Membership in Stimulus Classes by Pigeons

Urcuioli

Jones

Lionello-Denolf

2013

Response membership in pigeons’ stimulus class formation was evaluated using associative symmetry and class expansion tests. In Experiment 1, pigeons learned hue-hue (AA) and form-form (BB) successive matching plus a modified hue-form (AB) task in which reinforcement was contingent upon a left versus right side-key response after the positive AB sequences. On subsequent BA (symmetry) probe trials, pigeons responded more often to the comparisons on the reverse of the positive than negative AB sequences and, more importantly, preferentially pecked the side key consistent with symmetry after the reversed positive sequences. In Experiment 2, the original three baseline tasks were supplemented by dot-white (CC) successive matching in which reinforcement was contingent upon a left versus right side-key response after the positive CC sequences. Class expansion was then tested by presenting non-reinforced CA and CB successive matching probes. Comparison response rates were mostly non-differential on CA probes but were uniformly higher on CB probes that consisted of the C samples and B comparisons from the same, hypothesized class. Together, these results provide evidence that responses can become members of stimulus classes, as predicted by Urcuioli’s (2008) theory of pigeons’ stimulus-class formation and Sidman’s (2000) theory of equivalence.

A mediational theory of equivalence relations and transformation of function

Schlinger,

Blakely

2024

In this article, we describe a mediational theory of emergent or derived relations resulting from matching‐to‐sample procedures that produce equivalence and transformation of function. According to a mediational theory, behaviors that occur at the time of reinforcement mediate subsequent behavioral relations referred to as “derived” or “emergent.” Such relations have been documented for decades in studies using mostly matching‐to‐sample procedures with humans and nonhumans. In both verbal human and nonhuman participants, the mediating behaviors consist of differential responding to the sample stimulus. In humans, such behaviors are mostly, but not necessarily, verbal; in nonhumans they include a variety of sample‐specific responses, sometimes called “coding.” The proposed mediational theory, based only on the four‐term contingency and the basic principles of operant learning, makes specific predictions and explains results from a broad range of experiments. There are at least three important implications of a mediational theory. First, if by “derived” or “emergent” one means untrained or unreinforced, then derived relations may not exist. Second, if there are no derived relations, then theories of such relations may not be necessary. Third, a mediational theory of relational responding has potentially important implications for clinical practice.