Standard discrimination and fading techniques were utilized to teach preschool children a two-choice discrimination task in which their non-dominant dimension (color or form) was relevant for solution. The fading group performed better than the standard discrimination group on both an initial and a later generalization-discrimination task. On the generalization task, the superiority of the fading technique was limited to form-dominant Ss. When retested for dimensional dominance after 1 wk. fading significantly decreased Ss' choices of their previously dominant dimensions while the standard discrimination trained Ss showed no change in preference.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BijouS. W.Studies in the experimental development of left-right concepts in retarded children using fading techniques. In EllisN. R. (Ed.), International review of research in mental retardation.Vol. 3. New York: Academic Press, 1968. pp. 66–96.
2.
BrianC. R.GoodenoughF. L.The relative potency of color and form perception at various ages. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1929, 12, 197–213.
3.
CaronA. J.Discrimination shifts in three-year-olds as a function of dimensional salience. Developmental Psychology, 1969, 1, 333–339.
MooreR.GoldiamondI.Errorless establishment of visual discrimination using fading procedures. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1964, 7, 269–272.
6.
StoddardL. T.SidmanM.The effects of errors on children's performance on a circle-ellipse discrimination. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1967, 10, 261–270.
7.
SuchmanR. G.Color-form preference, discriminative accuracy and learning of deaf and hearing children. Child Development, 1966, 37, 439–451.
8.
TrabassoT.BowerG. H.Attention in learning.New York: Wiley, 1968.
9.
WolffJ. L.The role of dimensional preferences in discrimination learning. Psychonomic Science, 1966, 5, 455–456.
10.
ZeamanD.HouseB. J.The role of attention in retardate discrimination learning. In EllisN. R. (Ed.), Handbook of mental deficiency.New York: McGraw-Hill, 1963. pp. 159–223.
