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EMPIRICAL VALIDATION OF A PROCEDURE TO CORRECT POSITION AND STIMULUS BIASES IN MATCHING‐TO‐SAMPLE
Author(s) -
Kangas Brian D.,
Branch Marc N.
Publication year - 2008
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.2008.90-103
Subject(s) - stimulus control , stimulus (psychology) , reinforcement , matching (statistics) , peck (imperial) , statistics , sample (material) , psychology , computer science , cognitive psychology , mathematics , social psychology , chemistry , geometry , chromatography , neuroscience , nicotine
The development of position and stimulus biases often occurs during initial training on matching‐to‐sample tasks. Furthermore, without intervention, these biases can be maintained via intermittent reinforcement provided by matching‐to‐sample contingencies. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a correction procedure designed to eliminate both position and stimulus biases. Following key‐peck training, a group of 6 pigeons had extended exposure to matching‐to‐sample contingencies without a correction procedure, a group of 4 pigeons was briefly exposed to a simultaneous matching‐to‐sample procedure to assess biases prior to exposure to the correction procedure, and a group of 5 pigeons was exposed directly to the correction procedure. The correction procedure arranged that every time an incorrect match was made, the trial configuration was repeated on the subsequent trial until a correct match was made. Extended exposure to matching‐to‐sample contingencies without a correction procedure was associated with reduced biases eventually for most subjects, but rapid development of near‐perfect accuracy and bias‐free performance was observed upon the implementation of the correction procedure regardless of the type of bias. Bias‐free performance was maintained following subsequent exposure to a zero‐delay MTS procedure.