The effects of listener training on the development of analogical reasoning.

We evaluated the effects of listener training on the emergence of analogical reasoning, as measured via equivalence-equivalence and explored the role of verbal behavior when solving analogy-type tasks. We taught 18 college students to select component stimuli from 2 classes, labeled "vek" and "zog," and evaluated tacts and relational responding in the presence of baseline (AB and BC), symmetry (BA and CB), and transitivity (AC and CA) compounds. In Experiment 1, 5 out of 6 participants passed analogy tests, but none of them engaged in the relational tacts "same" and "different" during tact tests, possibly due to lack of instructional control. A change in instructions during Experiment 2 produced relational tacts in 4 of 6 participants, and 5 participants passed analogy tests. In Experiment 3, we implemented a talk-aloud procedure to determine if the participants were emitting relational tacts during analogy tests. All 6 participants tacted stimuli relationally and engaged in problem-solving statements to solve analogy tests. Results from these studies suggest that listener and speaker behavior in the form of relational tacts and other problem-solving statements influenced the participants' equivalence-equivalence performance.

The Effects of Blocking and Joint Control Training on Sequencing Visual Stimuli.

We assessed the effects of blocking on the accuracy of arranging visual stimuli in sequences as an attempt to assess whether verbal behavior mediates nonverbal performance. Across three experiments, college students were trained to echo and tact the names of abstract images vocally (Experiments 1 and 3) and with hand signs (Experiment 2), and then, they were tested to see whether they could sequence these pictures accurately in the presence of their dictated names or signs. When participants were required to engage in a vocal blocking task, sequencing performances learned via either vocal or hand signs deteriorated (Experiments 1 and 2). In Experiment 3, vocal blocking deteriorated sequencing learned vocally, but not when participants were responding to visual samples (i.e., visual matching). Overall, only 2 out of 12 participants required joint control training to accurately sequence stimuli. Combined results suggest that vocal blocking may serve to prevent verbal behavior that could be mediating sequencing, and that joint control training is not necessary for adults to perform the sequencing task.

The effects of tact training on the development of analogical reasoning.

This study assessed whether tact training would establish analogies as measured by equivalence-equivalence relations. In Experiment 1, six college students were trained to tact "same" or "different" in the presence of AB and BC compounds based on component class membership (e.g., A1B1 as "same", and A1B2 as "different"), and then tested on emergent tacts (BA, CB, AC, CA) and equivalence-equivalence relations. Only one of six participants passed all tests without remedial training. In Experiment 2, six college students were trained to tact only compounds belonging to the same class as "same". Three of six participants passed all tests without remedial training. In Experiment 3, six college students were trained to tact stimuli belonging to the same class with a common name prior to exposure to relational tact training. All participants passed tests without remedial training. In Experiment 4, eight college students were trained to tact stimuli belonging to the same class with a common name. Six participants passed without remedial training, while two, who did not tact the relation of the compounds, did not. Results from these studies suggest that simple discrimination of individual components and their relation in the form of tacts is related with equivalence performance.