Emergent Simple Discrimination in Children: Transfer of Stimulus Control under Non-Reinforced Conditions

Abstract

Previous research on humans suggests that simple discriminations may emerge if both stimuli, B1 and B2, are compounded with the stimuli of a previously trained discrimination, A1 (S+) and A2 (S-), and responding to the compounds, B1A1 and B2A2, is reinforced. Two questions were addressed. First, do simple discriminations also emerge if (a) only one stimulus, B1, is compounded with a training stimulus, A1 (S+) or A2 (S-); or with both training stimuli, A1 (S+) and A2 (S-); and (b) neither B1 nor B2 is compounded with the training stimuli? Second, do simple discriminations emerge if reinforcement in the presence of the AB compounds is withheld? Normal preschool children served as subjects. The study consisted of six experiments. Transfer occurred in all experiments regardless of whether both test stimuli, one test stimulus, or none of the test stimuli were compounded with the training stimuli under non-reinforced conditions. The results can be described by the following rules: Respond to any stimulus that includes a component of a “correct” stimulus of a previous discrimination. Otherwise, respond away from the stimulus that incorporates a component from an “incorrect” stimulus of a previous discrimination. The implications of data for sensory pre-conditioning and language-based accounts are discussed.