This study investigated the effects of stimulus presentation rate in a Taffel-type verbal conditioning paradigm. College Ss were required to emit sentences utilizing a verb and one of six pronouns on each of 80 stimulus cards. Rate of stimulus presentation was varied in two ways: presentation of a card every 7 sec. (Fixed rate) and presentation immediately subsequent to each reponse (Variable rate). Presentation rate was factorially varied with presence or absence of response-contingent verbal reinforcement. Greater increments in reinforced response frequency occurred under Fixed than Variable procedures but conditioning effects were obtained independent of presentation rate.
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References
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