Tonneau, F. & Gonzalez, C. (2004).
Function transfer in human operant experiments: The role of stimulus pairings.
Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
81, 239-255.
Although function transfer often has been studied in complex operant procedures
(such as matching to sample), whether operant reinforcement actually produces
function transfer in such settings has not been established. The present experiments,
with high school students as subjects, suggest that stimulus pairings can promote
function transfer in conditions that closely approximate those of matching to
sample. In Experiment 1, the subjects showed transfer of operant responding
from three geometric figures (C1, C2, C3) to three colored shapes (B1, B2, B3)
when the latter were paired with the former. Experiment 2 involved two groups
of subjects. In the matching group, subjects matched the colored shapes with the
geometric figures; in the yoked group, the shapes were merely paired with the
geometric figures, and the schedule of stimulus pairing was yoked to the
performance of the subjects in the matching group. Both groups of subjects showed
function transfer. Experiment 3 documented function transfer from C stimuli to
B stimuli through indirect stimulus pairings (A-B, A-C). In Experiment 4, function
transfer was obtained even though the subjects vocalized continuously during the
pairing trials, presumably preventing covert verbalization that might mediate
transfer effects. Our results are consistent with a Pavlovian account and raise
difficulties for current operant theories of function transfer.
Key words: function transfer, Pavlovian conditioning, matching to
sample, computer mouse click, key press, humans