Three experiments in E outcome-bias were analyzed to test the hypotheses that verbal conditioning (1) is a necessary condition for, and (2) serves to augment, the mediation of the E outcome-bias phenomenon. It was found that verbal conditioning was not a necessary condition nor did it serve to augment the phenomenon in the three experiments analyzed. The finding that the bias phenomenon was already in evidence on Ss' very first response, suggested we direct special attention to the brief pre-data-collecting phase of the E-S interaction in any studies of the mode of mediation of the E outcome-bias phenomenon.
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