On the role of compound stimuli in a matching-to-sample procedure.

Abstract

The purpose of the present experiments was to investigate stimulus control to the individual elements of multiple compound stimuli in a matching-to-sample (MTS) procedure. In Experiment 1, 20 participants were trained in a 0-s delayed identity MTS procedure with four compound stimuli before a test. In the testing condition, all aspects of the compound stimuli were presented simultaneously. The result shows that eight participants respond systematically to only one aspect of the initial compound stimuli. In Experiment 2, 20 participants in two groups were trained in the same manner as in Experiment 1. Group 1 was trained with 0-s delay and Group 2 with 3-s delay. In the test, only one compound stimulus was tested on each trial. Results show that eight and four participants in Group 1 and 2, respectively, respond systematically to one aspect of the compound stimuli.