Date of Award
12-1983
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Jack L. Michael
Second Advisor
Dr. Norman Peterson
Third Advisor
Dr. Paul Montjoy
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Two female children, aged 11 and 14 months, were exposed to a procedure in which an experimenter-emitted vocal response was paired with a reinforcing stimulus (positive condition), a neutral stimulus (neutral condition), or a mild aversive stimulus (negative condition). An AB design was utilized to examine the effects of the pairing procedure on the subjects* vocal responding. Sessions were conducted in each subject’s home. Only one subject was exposed to the pairing with a neutral (control) stimulus, and with the mild aversive verbal stimulus. Responding during the post-pairing period remained constant in the neutral condition, but was markedly reduced in the negative condition. A gradual increase in the frequency of non-paired vocal responses was seen after a vocal behavior-free period. The pairing procedure altered the type, and rate of vocal responding. In 75% of the sessions the paired response increased in frequency after pairing with respect to baseline levels. These data provide experimental evidence for the existence of automatic conditioned reinforcement and punishment, both of which are integral components of Skinner’s analysis of behavior.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Rick A., "The Role of Automatic Conditioned Reinforcement and Automatic Conditioned Punishment in Infant Vocal Behavior" (1983). Masters Theses. 1656.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1656