Establishing Fraction-Decimal Equivalence Using A Respondent-Type Training Procedure

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to teach children fractiondecimal equivalence using the respondent-type training procedure and test for any emergent generalization. In the first experiment, subjects were respondently trained on the conditional discriminations; A1→B1, A2→B2, and tested B1-A1, B2-A2. Subjects were then trained on the conditional discriminations C1→B1, C2→B2 and tested B1-C1, B2-C2. Subjects were subsequently tested for the emergence of the untrained relations A-C and C-A. When subjects were presented with the Stimulus A1 they observed 1/4 and when subjects were presented with A2 they observed 2/4. When subjects were presented with B1 they observed a circle with the upper left quarter shaded and when subjects were presented with B2 they observed a circle divided into four quarters with the upper half shaded. When subjects were presented with C1 they observed 0.25 and when subjects were presented with C2 they observed 0.50. Experiment 2 was identical to Experiment 1 except that subjects were administered three generalization tests. In Generalization Test Number 1, the Stimuli A1, A2, C1, and C2 served as samples and shapes not seen in training but with the same shaded areas served as comparison stimuli. Generalization Test No.2 was identical to the previous test, except that the comparison stimuli consisted of a shape not seen in training and the shaded area was altered. Generalization Test No. 3 was identical to the previous two tests except that the comparison stimuli were altered in that the number of shaded and unshaded areas was increased. Experiment 3 was identical to Experiment 2 except that an extra generalization test was added to the experiment. This test was identical to Generalization Test No. 3 of Experiment 2, except that the shaded areas were contiguous with each other.

In Experiment 1, subjects were successful on all equivalence