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Sequential contrast effects with retarded subjects after discrimination learning with and without errors
Author(s) -
LAMBERT JEANLUC
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1977.tb01561.x
Subject(s) - reinforcement , psychology , extinction (optical mineralogy) , contrast (vision) , schedule , discrimination learning , developmental psychology , audiology , social psychology , artificial intelligence , optics , medicine , physics , computer science , operating system
Four retarded adults were exposed to a multiple variable interval‐extinction schedule of reinforcement. The 2 min components were presented in a random order. Two subjects acquired the discrimination with an errorless procedure. The two other subjects learned the discrimination with errors. The schedule generated sequential contrast effects under both training procedures: response rates during periods of reinforcement were higher when a reinforcement period followed an extinction period than when it followed another reinforcement period. These results were confirmed in a second observation where eight retarded children were exposed to a multiple fixed ratio‐extinction schedule of reinforcement. This study is the first demonstration of sequential contrast effects with human subjects during the acquisition of a discrimination without errors. The results are discussed in terms of Terrace's theory of errorless learning.