A test of the effect of secondary reinforcement in concept formation

158 Pages·05.331 MB·English

by  McGuigan, Frank J

TEST OF THE EFFECT OF SECONDARY REINFORCEMENT
IN CONCEPT FORMATION
A D issertatio n
Presented to
the Faculty of th e Graduate School
The U niversity of Southern C alifornia
In P a rtia l F ulfillm ent
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Francis Joseph McGuigan
July 1950
UMI Number: DP30405
All rights reserved
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This dissertation, written by
F.RALLCLLS.. JO.SSPJi.llC.G.UXGMi...................................
under the guidance of h...is.Faculty Committee
on Studies, and approved by all its members, has
been presented to and accepted by the Council
on Graduate Study and Research, in partial ful­
fillment of requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PH ILOSOPHY
.........................................
Dean
Date August 1?5?.............
Committee on Studies
Milton F. Metfessel
Chairman
..........................
_ C o n s t a n ce „ D ... L ov e 31............
James T. Culbertson
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED . . 1
The p ro b le m .............................................................................. 3
Statement of the p r o b l e m .................................... 3
Importance of the problem .................................... 3
D efinitio ns of terms used ......................................... 3
Conditioned Response P rin cip les ..................... 4
Neo-Gestalt P rin cip les .......................................... 5
Logical an aly sis of p rin c ip le s ..................... 7
Obviousness ........................................................................ 8
Secondary Reinforcement ......................................... 9
Statement of o r g a n iz a tio n ...............................................10
I I REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE........................................... 11
N eo-G estalt position : Krech • 11
Neo-Gestalt p o sitio n : Lashley .......................... 22
Conditioned Response position: Spence . • 35
Conditioned Response p osition: Hull . . . 59
Conditioned Response p o sitio n :
Ehren f r e u n d .........................................................................62
Conditioned Response p o sitio n : Prentice . 65
R econciliatory attem pts .......................................... 69
CHAPTER PAGE
I I I EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND STATEMENT OF
RESULTS............................... .................................... 79
Experimental d e s i,g i...............................................................79
S u b j e c t s ....................................................................................79
M aterials and experim ental p resen tatio n . $0
I n s t r u c t i o n s .........................................................................91
T heoretical pred ictio ns ......................................... 92
Statement of r e s u l t s ..........................................................93
Sequential a n a l y s i s ...............................................................96
IV DISCUSSION, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS................................121
D i s c u s s i o n .................................................................................121
Summary and c o n c lu s io n s ..................................................131
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................137
APPENDIX.................................................................................. 142
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
I Experimental Design for Testing
D iscrim ination Habits .................................................... 45
II Analysis of fTIn sig jitfu lTt Solutions in
C him panzees...................................................................................5$
I I I Relevant Stim uli on the Problem Cards . . . . £l
IV Experimental P resentation of Problem Cards • 90
V R esults in Terms of T ria l 5 .................................................94
VI Analysis of Variance for Obvious Stim uli
(Problem 1, T rial 5) 97
VII Analysis of Variance fo r Obvious Stim uli
(Problem 1, T ria ls 1 - 4 ) ....................................................9$
V III Analysis of Variance fo r Obvious Stim uli
(Problem 2, T rial 5) 99
IX Analysis of Variance fo r Obvious Stim uli
(Problem 2, T ria ls 1-4) • • • ..............................100
X Analysis of Variance for "Mediumly Obvious"
Stim uli (Problem 1, T ria l 5 ) ...................................101
XI A nalysis of Variance for "Mediumly Obvious"
Stim uli (Problem 1, T ria ls 1 - 4 ) ..............................102
XII Analysis of Variance fo r "Mediumly Obvious"
Stim uli (Problem 2, T rial 5) 103
V
PAGE
Analysis of Variance fo r "Mediumly Obvious"
Stim uli (Problem 2, T ria ls 1-4) .......................... 104
Analysis of Variance fo r Subtle Stim uli
(Problem 1, T rial 5) .................................................... 105
Analysis of Variance for Subtle Stim uli
(Problem 1, T ria ls 1-4) ............................................... 106
Covariance for "Obvious Stim uli" (Problem 2) 107
Covariance for "Mediumly Obvious" Stim uli
(Problem 1) ............................................................................. 108
Covariance for "Mediumly Obvious Stim uli
(Problan 2) ........................................................................ 109
Covariance for "Subtle" Stim uli (Problem 1) • 110
Data for Obvious Stim uli (Problem 1) . . . . 142
Data fo r Obvious Stim uli (Problem 2) . . . . 143
Data fo r "Mediumly Obvious" Stim uli
(Problem 1) ............................................................................. 144
Data fo r "Mediumly Obvious" Stim uli
(Problem 2) ............................................................................. 145
Data fo r Subtle Stim uli (Problem 1) ..................... 146
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1 G eneralization Curves fo r E xcitatory and
Inh ib ito ry Tendencies .................................................... 49
2 G eneralization Curves fo r E xcitatory and
In h ib ito ry Tendencies .................................................... 54
3 G eneralization Curves fo r E xcitatory and
In h ib ito ry Tendencies .................................................... 55
4 Sample Problem Cards for Obvious Condition,
Problem 1 .........................................................................................$3
5 Sample Problem Cards for Obvious Condition,
Problem 2 .........................................................................................$4
6 Sample Problem Cards for Mediumly Obvious
Condition, Problem 1 $5
7 Sample Problem Cards fo r Mediumly Obvious
Condition, Problem 2 ..........................................................$6
$ Sample Problem Cards for Subtle Condition,
Problem 1 ....................................................................... &7
9 Sequential Analysis for Obvious Stim uli,
Problem 1 ......................................................................................115
10 Sequential A nalysis fo r Obvious Stim uli,
Problem 2 ......................................................................................116
FIGURE PAGE
11 Sequential Analysis for Mediumly Obvious
S tim uli, Problem 1 ................................................................117
12 Sequential Analysis for Mediumly Obvious
S tim uli, Problem 2 ................................................................11$
13 Sequential Analysis fo r Subtle S tim uli,
Problem 1 ........................................................................................119
A TEST OF THE EFFECT OF SECONDARY REINFORCEMENT
IN CONCEPT FORMATION