Date of Award
4-1993
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Jack L. Michael
Second Advisor
Dr. Richard Malott
Third Advisor
Dr. William Redmon
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Selection-based verbal behavior involves indicating a stimulus in some way from a set of stimuli. Twenty undergraduates served as subjects in this study of familiarity with a sample stimulus in a selection-based paradigm. The study utilized twenty Japanese Kanji characters as the comparison stimuli to be selected. Half the subjects were presented English names of animals as sample stimuli and the other half of the subjects were presented Japanese Katakana symbols (which appear as little more than nonsense figures) as sample stimuli.
T-tests were performed on the average number of twenty-trial blocks needed to meet criterion (two consecutive blocks without error). The group with English names as sample stimuli took significantly fewer blocks to reach criterion. Average reaction times for the final two blocks were also analyzed with a t-test with little difference noted between the two groups.
Recommended Citation
Wallander, Robert J., "Effects of Familiarity with a Sample-Stimulus in Selection-Based Learning of Verbal Behavior" (1993). Masters Theses. 816.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/816