Oakes' interesting study fails to demonstrate conclusive results because: (1) his “positive” reinforcer appears, in some instances, to have produced aversive conditioning; (2) he did not have an unreinforced group from which to obtain operant levels of responding; (3) the statistics failed to reflect many of the parameters of the data.
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References
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BalesR. F.Interaction process analysis: a method for the study of small groups.Cambridge, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1950.
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HeckelR. V.WigginsS. L., & SalzbergH. C.Conditioning against silences in group therapy. J. clin. Psychol., 1962, 18, 216–217.
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OakesW. F.Reinforcement of Bales' categories in group discussion. Psychol. Rep., 1962, 11, 427–435.
