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. 1995 May;63(3):225–238. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1995.63-225

Reversal of baseline relations and stimulus equivalence: I. Adults

Carol Pilgrim, Mark Galizio
PMCID: PMC1334443  PMID: 16812758

Abstract

Following the emergence of two four-member equivalence classes (A1B1C1D1 and A2B2C2D2), 5 students were exposed to a series of phases including a baseline conditional discrimination reversal (i.e., choosing D2 was reinforced and D1 punished given Sample A1; choosing D1 was reinforced and D2 punished given Sample A2), the delayed introduction of CD/DC transitivity/equivalence probes, DE conditional discrimination training, a second baseline conditional discrimination reversal (i.e., choosing C2 was reinforced given B1, etc.), and a return to original baseline reinforcement contingencies. Results showed that baseline and symmetry probe performances were extremely sensitive to baseline modifications. In contrast, patterns on transitivity/equivalence probes remained predominantly consistent with the originally established equivalence classes, although there were exceptions on some E probe relations for 2 subjects. The dissociation between baseline and symmetry versus transitivity/equivalence patterns may have important implications because it is not easily accounted for by current models of equivalence phenomena.

Keywords: stimulus equivalence, conditional discrimination reversal, complex stimulus control, object displacement, high school and college students

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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