OPERANT CONDITIONING OF A CLASS OF NEGATIVE EVALUATIVE MEANING WORDS
Abstract
A series of three experiments was conducted to test the hypothesis that a group of words which share a common meaning constitutes a verbal response class. Results showed the experimental words, all of negative evaluative meaning, did condition as a class when individual negative word responses were reinforced. Negative words tended to occur in such low frequency in the procedure of Experiment I that a number of modifications were undertaken in subsequent experiments to insure that such responses would occur in greater frequency, thus allowing for more reinforced trials. In Experiment II the effectiveness of the reinforcer GOOD, a positive evautive word, was compared to that of a nonverbal reinfo cer, points. Both types of reinforcers were shown to bring about significant conditioning of the negative word class. Experiment III demonstrated that the strengthening of the negative word class response was a gradual effect resulting from the systematic presentation of the reinforcer. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0267567
Entities
People
- Arthur W. Staats
- Carolyn K. Staats
Organizations
- Arizona State University