Evaluation of training sequences for formation of stimulus equivalence classes with specific behavioral function

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the results produced by training sequences for establish stimulus equivalence classes, with specific behavioral function, which differed especially with respect to the first training held, namely, simple or conditional discrimination. Participated in the study 32 college students. Half of these participants were exposed a specific training sequence that began with the simple discrimination, and the other half underwent another sequence that began with the conditional discrimination. Both groups were submitted to both procedures and to the reassessment of performance in emergent relations tests or simple discrimination tests. The results showed that starting with simple discrimination training facilitated participant´s performance on conditional discrimination, as well as the conditional discrimination also facilitated performance on simple discrimination. On the other hand, the reassessment data of the equivalence tests indicated that, for the participants who did not reach the criterion in the first application of these tests, the subsequent training in simple discrimination did not increase the percentages of correctness in the reevaluation of the emergent relations.