The interfering effect of emotional stimulus functions on stimulus equivalence class formation: implications for the understanding and treatment of anxiety

Tyndall, Ian; Roche, Bryan; James, Jack E.

doi:10.1080/15021149.2009.11434320

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Historically, meaningful stimuli have been defined by their denotative and connotative properties, and class‐enhancement effects have been attributed to these properties (Russell, ; Ryle, ; Skinner, ). The results of the present experiment and others (Arntzen, ; Arntzen & Lian, ; Arntzen & Nikolaisen, ; Bentall et al, ; Fields et al, ; Garcia & Rehfeldt, ; Holth & Arntzen, ; Leslie et al, ; Lyddy, Barnes‐Holmes, & Hampson, ; Tyndall et al, ; ) suggest that the class‐enhancing properties of meaningful stimuli may, at least in part, also be based on their operant discriminative functions and the overtraining thereof.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…Specifically, the inclusion of only one neutral or positively‐valenced meaningful stimulus in a set of other meaningless stimuli enhances the formation of an equivalence class. From an operant stimulus control perspective, meaningful stimuli most likely function as discriminanda for responses of many different topographies, as members of conditional discriminations, and as members of categories or classes (Fields et al, ; Tyndall et al, ). The results of the present experiment and that conducted by Fields et al () showed that the explicit acquisition of discriminative functions by only one meaningless stimulus in a set of meaningless stimuli substantially enhances the likelihood of equivalence class formation by that set of stimuli.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Discriminative functions and over‐training as class‐enhancing determinants of meaningful stimuli

Travis

Fields

Arntzen

2014

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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Likelihood of equivalence class formation (yield) was influenced by pre-class formation of simultaneous and successive discriminations, their mastery criteria, and overtraining of the successive discriminations. Each undergraduate in seven groups attempted to form two 3-node, 5-member equivalence classes (ABCDE). In the pictorial (PIC) group, meaningless nonsense syllables were used as the A, B, D, and E stimuli and meaningful pictures as the C stimuli. Nonsense syllables only were used in the other groups. The abstract (ABS) or 0-0-0 group involved no pre-class training. In the 84-0-0, 84-5-0 and 84-20-0 groups, simultaneous discriminations were trained among C stimuli to a mastery criterion of 84 trials, followed by successive discriminations trained to mastery criteria of 0, 5, and 20 trials, respectively. In the 84-20-0, 84-20-100, and 84-20-500 groups, simultaneous and successive discriminations were trained as noted, followed by overtraining with 0, 100, 500 successive-discrimination trials, respectively. The ABS group produced a 6% yield with the 84-0-0, 84-5-0, and 84-20-0 groups producing further modest increments. Overtraining produced a linear increase in yield, reaching 85% after 500 overtraining trials, a yield matching that produced by classes containing pictures as C stimuli (PIC). Thus, acquired discriminative functions and the overtraining of at least one function can account for class enhancement by meaningful stimuli.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discriminative functions and over‐training as class‐enhancing determinants of meaningful stimuli

Travis

Fields

Arntzen

2014

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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“…Other studies first establish equivalence classes and then use stimulus pairings to alter the valence of stimuli and observe transfer effects (e.g., Rodríguez-Valverde et al, 2009). Although the order seems to be irrelevant, there is some evidence that it takes longer to form equivalence classes when stimuli have emotionally aversive functions, as compared with neutral functions, an effect for which there is no satisfactory explanation to date (Tyndall, Roche, & James, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Derived relations and generalized alteration of preferences

Jiménez

Dougher²,

Luciano

2012

Learn Behav

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The present study examined the role of derived relations in the generalizability of the evaluative conditioning effect. Healthy university students participated. Four geometrical shapes were first established as discriminative stimuli for the contingent presentation of pictograms (B1, B2, C1, and C2, respectively). We then assessed the reinforcing properties of B1 versus B2, and C1 versus C2 by using simultaneous discrimination tasks: at baseline (baseline assessment), after pairing B1 with aversive slides plus noise and B2 with pleasant slides (test I), and after employing equivalence training and testing to establish B1 as equivalent to C1 and B2 as equivalent to C2 (test II). Most participants (82 %) in the experimental condition, as compared with the control conditions (17 % and 10 %), selected the discriminative shapes for B2 (test I) and C2 (test II) on most trials, replicating and extending previous findings. Subsequently, the geometrical shapes were established as equivalent to the letters X, Y, W, and Z, respectively, which then served as antecedent stimuli in simultaneous discrimination tasks as before (test III). As was expected, only participants in the experimental condition showed preference for the novel letters that were established as equivalent to B2-producing and C2-producing shapes. These findings suggest that the evaluative conditioning effect may extend far beyond the stimulus being de/valuated and narrow the behavioral repertoire.Keywords Transfer of functions . Derived generalization . Evaluative conditioning . Consequence devaluation . Key selection . Humans Just as the mythical Greek King Midas turned everything he touched into gold, an affectively relevant learning experience may alter a person's previous preferences in diverse life domains. The observed change in liking that is due to the pairing of stimuli has been regarded as an evaluative conditioning (EC) effect (De Houwer, 2007). EC is a form of Pavlovian conditioning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with an affective stimulus and, as a result, the valence of the neutral stimulus changes. The effects have been observed with a number of measures of liking based on Likert scale ratings and reaction time.Research on EC can be traced back to the early 1950s, but it was the seminal study by Staats and Staats (1957) that stimulated further research on the applications of EC in several domains (for an overview, see De Houwer, Thomas, & Baeyens, 2001). Staats and Staats showed that participants' responses to a semantic differential scale (pleasantness vs. unpleasantness) were significantly modified after secondorder classical conditioning in which nonsense syllables (CS2) were paired with socially established conditioned stimuli (CS1), such as pretty, healthy, stupid, disgusting (CS2 ➔ CS1). Nonsense syllables paired with positive words were evaluated as more pleasant than nonsense syllables paired with negative words. Subsequent research focused on the possible boundary conditions of EC. Within this line, Tryon and Cicero ...

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“…Os estudos empregando este procedimento (e.g. Smyth, Barnes-Holmes, & Forsyth, 2006;Tyndall, Roche, & James, 2009) mostram que ele permite verificar a transferência de funções. Guerin (1994) também apresenta uma interpretação comportamental das atitudes, conceituando-as como comportamento verbal, especificamente, com as funções de tato (descrever, por exemplo, gostar ou não de um estímulo com o qual se teve uma experiência direta), intraverbal (atitudes controladas por comportamento verbal, como quando alguém diz "não gosto de índios", por ter somente lido que determinada tribo é "selvagem"), e mando (como quando uma pessoa em uma posição de poder diz "não gosto de pessoas que me pedem favores").…”

Section: Equivalência De Estímulos E Formação De Atitudesunclassified

Contribuições do paradigma de equivalência de estímulos para o estudo das atitudes

Mizael¹,

Santos

Rose³

2016

Inter. Psicol.

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RESUMOConsiderando a abordagem analítico-comportamental, atitudes podem ser consideradas respostas avaliativas emitidas de acordo com uma história prévia de aprendizagem. O paradigma de equivalência de estímulos, utilizando procedimentos que simulam o comportamento simbólico no laboratório, tem possibilitado entender a formação de atitudes como uma rede de relações arbitrárias entre classes de estímulos e atributos avaliativos. Esta visão tem auxiliado na compreensão de como fenômenos sociais, tais como estereótipos e preconceitos, podem ser estabelecidos e modificados. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar algumas contribuições, a partir de evidências empíricas demonstradas por pesquisas que utilizaram este paradigma nas últimas décadas, particularmente a partir da década de 90, que fortalecem a equivalência de estímulos como um modelo comportamental importante para o estudo das atitudes. Palavras-Chave: paradigma de equivalência de estímulos; atitudes; preconceito; estereótipos. ABSTRACT Contributions of stimulus equivalence paradigm for studying attitudes According to the behavior-analytic approach, attitudes can be viewed as responses emitted based on a previous learning history. Stimulus equivalence paradigm, using procedures that simulate symbolic behavior in the laboratory, has made possible to understand attitude formation as arbitrary relational networks between stimulus classes and evaluative attributes. This view has enabled understanding how social phenomena, such as prejudices and stereotypes, can be established and changed. The aim of this research is to present contributions, from empirical evidence demonstrated by stimulus equivalence research carried out in the last decades, especially from the 1990's, that strengthen this paradigm as an important behavioral model for studying attitudes.

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The interfering effect of emotional stimulus functions on stimulus equivalence class formation: implications for the understanding and treatment of anxiety

Cited by 16 publications

References 53 publications

Discriminative functions and over‐training as class‐enhancing determinants of meaningful stimuli

Discriminative functions and over‐training as class‐enhancing determinants of meaningful stimuli

Derived relations and generalized alteration of preferences

Contribuições do paradigma de equivalência de estímulos para o estudo das atitudes

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