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Effects Of Stimulus Codability And Duration Of Stimulus Exposure On Recognition Memory For Random Shapes, Terry Clyde Daniel

Psychology ETDs

An experiment was conducted investigating the role of distinctive verbal labels and scaled stimulus codability on the temporal course of recognition memory for complex random shapes. Three between-S variables, delay interval, pretraining type, and stimulus codability, were combined with one within-S variable, stimulus exposure duration, into a 3x2x2x(2) factorial design. Subjects were given observation or relevant verbal label pretraining with either high or low codability stimuli and were subsequently tested on a five-stimulus forced-choice recognition task either immediately, 15 minutes, or 1 week after training. All subjects saw one half of the stimuli for their condition for 6.0 seconds on …

Role Of Observing Responses In Perceptual Learning, Dieter W. Jahns

Psychology ETDs

The experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that the distributions of observing responses made within a stimulus differ during tactual stimulus predifferentiation training as a function of the labeling task used and that subsequent perceptual performance can be related to correlated differential practice with the stimuli during predifferentiation, as exhibited by differences in observing-response distributions during the earlier task. One hundred twenty Ss were given a multiple-shape recognition test subsequent to one of 12 experimental conditions: 2, 4, or 8 trials of either observation or equivalence stimulus-predifferentiation training under one of two conditions of observing-response freedom. The results indicated …

Conditioned Response Sub-Class Variability., David Perkins

Psychology ETDs

In order to test the hypothesis that resistance to extinction is directly related to the amount of response sub-class variability reinforced during acquisition, the number of different response subclasses reinforced during acquisition was directly controlled and subsequently related to resistance to extinction. A response subclass was defined as a response to one of eight key locations on a horizontally oriented response strip which was presumed to represent a topographical response continuum.

Seven groups of 3 pigeons each were first trained to peck the transilluminated response strip for 3-sec. access to grain reinforcement. Each group received a total of 752 reinforcements …

Differences Between Expressed And Measured Interests As Related To Personality And Intelligence, Dean R. Lee

Psychology ETDs

Previous research investigating the relationship between measured interests and expressed interests have reported correlation coefficients ranging from low negative values to +. 99. The present study was an attempt to discover the characteristics that distinguish those people who can accurately estimate their interests from those who cannot. It was hypothesized that the level of awareness index, as shown by differences between expressed and measured interests, would be higher for people with certain personality or intellectual characteristics or both and lower for people characterized by other personality or intellectual characteristics or both. The subjects for the study were 70 male and …

Role Of Feedback Stimuli In Response Discrimination And Differentiation, Edard J. Rickert

Psychology ETDs

Two experiments were performed to assess two roles commonly assigned response-produced (feedback) stimuli in learning theories by comparing the behavioral outcomes of these inferred events against a known property of external stimuli. The particular property chosen was transfer of discrimination because of its consistency and generality.

The first experiment was designed to determine whether feedback produced by preceding behavior guides ensuing behavior by facilitating transfer in much the same way as environmentally-produced stimuli. By contrast, the second experiment investigated the role of feedback in response differentiation; it attempted to determine whether rats can utilize feedback from concurrent responding to mediate …

Practice And Transfer On A Varied Choice Psychological Refractory Phase, Victor Bogo

Psychology ETDs

The practice and transfer effects were investigated for the 2–, 4–, and 6– -choice psychological refractory phase (PRP) which was equivalent too low, intermediate and high levels of complexity, respectively. Four subjects (Ss) in each condition were practiced for fifteen ten-minute sessions (days), until all groups leveled off. Two hypotheses are tested: (a) practice effects would be significant; (b) greater transfer would occur from a higher level of complexity. Also, the empirical observation that practice effects would be differential for the three choice groups was tested. The first hypothesis was confirmed. However, transfer in the second hypothesis was greater from …