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THE CONDITIONING OF TEXTUAL RESPONSES USING “EXTRINSIC” REINFORCERS 1
Author(s) -
Staats Arthur W.,
Staats Carolyn K.,
Schutz Richard E.,
Wolf Montrose
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1962.5-33
Subject(s) - reinforcement , conditioning , operant conditioning , psychology , word (group theory) , audiology , developmental psychology , social psychology , statistics , mathematics , medicine , geometry
Six 4‐year‐old S s were presented with a textual program consisting of 26 words arranged so the word stimuli were gradually combined into sentences and then short “stories.” Three S s were given the No‐Reinforcement condition first, and only social reinforcers were presented. They were switched to the Reinforcement condition as soon as they requested discontinuance of the activity. The other three S s were given Reinforcement—No Reinforcement—Reinforcement treatments. The No‐Reinforcement treatment in this case lasted until S requested discontinuance of the activity. The reinforcers were mixed edibles and trinkets, as well as tokens backed up by small plastic toys on a 1:24 ratio. The unit of response was the number of new texts acquired as a result of each of the 45‐min experimental sessions. It was demonstrated that the program, procedure, and reinforcement conditions produced curves which are analogous to those produced in common operant‐conditioning procedures. The results indicate that other operant principles may be studied in this significant area of human behavior, with important practical consequences.