Instructional Influence on Human Performance: The Effects of Trainee's Verbal Behavior
Abstract
Skilled performance may be defined in terms of sensitivity to contingent relations between behavior and its consequences, and the adaptability of behavior to changes in those contingencies. In an experimental analysis of the effects of verbal behavior on the development of skilled nonverbal performance, students' presses on left and right buttons occasionally made available points exchangeable for money. Blue lights over the buttons were correlated with multiple random-ratio (RR) random-interval (RI) components; usually, the RR schedule was assigned to the left button and the RI to the right. During interruptions on the multiple schedule, students filled out sentence-completion guess sheets (e.g., The way to earn points with the left button is ). For different groups, guesses were shaped with differential points also worth money (e.g., successive approximations to 'press fast' for the left button), or were instructed (e.g., Write 'press slowly' for the left button), or were simply collected. Control of rate of pressing by guesses was examined in individual cases by reversing shaped guesses, instructions, and/or multiple- schedule contingencies. In other words, when contingency-governed (shaped), verbal behavior controlled nonverbal responding.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA140950
Entities
People
- Byron A. Matthews
- Eliot H. Shimoff
Organizations
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County