Equivalence – Equivalence responding (Barnes et al., 1997), based on derived or non-explicitly trained relational responding, supports a behaviour-analytic model of analogical reasoning. Conditional ...discriminations are the most common procedure used to train its prerequisites. In this exploratory work we test Vaughan’s (1988) simple discrimination procedure instead to derive Eq-Eq responses in children. Two factors were assessed: type of reinforcer used (primary or secondary) and age of participants (9-10 or 12-13 years). The procedure successfully leaded to the derivation of equivalence – equivalence responses, and both factors influenced the results: selecting older children and applying primary reinforcement leaded to faster learning and better results in the equivalence – equivalence test. No interaction between factors was found. This training procedure can provide a new way to investigate the behavioural prerequisites of this important ability
La respuesta de equivalencia – equivalencia (Barnes, Hegarty y Smeets, 1997), basada en la derivación sin entrenamiento explícito de respuestas relacionales, ha servido para fundamentar un modelo analítico – funcional de razonamiento analógico. Tradicionalmente, el procedimiento utilizado para la derivación de estas respuestas se ha basado en discriminaciones condicionales. En este trabajo se explora la utilización del procedimiento de partición para la formación de clases de equivalencia funcional de Vaughan (1988) como base para la derivación de estas relaciones más complejas en niños, investigando el papel del tipo de reforzador utilizado (primario o secundario) y la edad de los participantes (9-10 años o 12-13 años). Los resultados del experimento indican que el procedimiento de partición da lugar a la derivación de relaciones de equivalencia – equivalencia, con influencia de ambos factores: Los niños de mayor edad, y aquellos a los que se aplica reforzamiento primario aprenden la tarea en menos ensayos y derivan en mayor proporción la respuesta relacional.
No se encontró interacción entre los factores. El procedimiento de partición puede aportar una nueva vía de investigación para esclarecer os prerrequisitos conductuales de esta importante habilidad.
Equivalence-equivalence responding (Eq-Eq) has become a behaviour analytic model of analogical reasoning. In previous works it was demonstrated that the exposition to a non-arbitrary relational task ...(facilitation procedure) improves performance in Eq-Eq tasks. In the present work we attempted to analyze the role of task components: arbitrary or non-arbitrary relational responses, role as sample or comparisons, and relating relations. In the first experiment, we devised four facilitation procedures combining two dimensions: simple or compound sample or comparisons and arbitrary or non-arbitrary relations among compound stimuli. In the second experiment two facilitation procedures including compound stimuli were tested. In one condition arbitrary relations worked as sample, and non-arbitrary relations as comparison. In the other condition its function was reversed. All procedures were effective to improve Eq-Eq to different extents, being arbitrary relational responses the key element. These results show generalization between non-arbitrary and arbitrary responses, and add further support to Eq-Eq responding as operant behaviour.
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