Debert, P., Matos, M.A. & McIlvane, W. (2007).
Conditional relations with compound abstract stimuli using a go/no-go procedure.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 87, 89-96.
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether emergent conditional relations could be established with a
go/no-go procedure using compound abstract stimuli. The procedure was conducted with 6 adult humans. During
training, responses emitted in the presence of certain stimulus compounds (A1B1, A2B2, A3B3, B1C1, B2C2, and
B3C3) were followed by reinforcing consequences (points); responses emitted in the presence of other compounds
(A1B2, A1B3, A2B1, A2B3, A3B1, A3B2, B1C2, B1C3, B2C1, B2C3, B3C1 and B3C2) were not (i.e., extinction). During
subsequent tests of emergent relations, new configurations (BA, CB, AC, and CA relations) were presented, formed
by the recombination of training stimuli and structurally resembling tests usually employed in stimulus
equivalence studies. Results showed that all 6 participants displayed immediate emergence of relations consistent
with symmetry. Four participants exhibited emergent relations consistent with both transitivity and equivalence.
These results indicate that a go/no-go procedure with compound stimuli can establish emergent conditional relations,
thus providing a procedural alternative to the matching-to-sample procedures commonly used in studies of stimulus
equivalence.
Key words: go/no-go procedure, compound stimuli, conditional discrimination, stimulus equivalence,
matching-to-sample, button press, humans