Fields, L., Tittelbach, D., Shamoun, K., Watanabe, M., Fitzer, A., & Matneja, P. (2007).
Training and linked perceptual classes.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 87, 97-119.
When the stimuli in one perceptual class (A’) become related to the stimuli in another perceptual class (B’),
the two are functioning as a single linked perceptual class. A common linked perceptual class would be the sounds
of a person’s voice (class A’) and the pictures of that person (class B’). Such classes are ubiquitous in real
world settings. We describe the effects of a variety of training procedures on the formation of these classes.
The results could account for the development of naturally occurring linked perceptual classes. Two perceptual
classes (A’ and B’) were formed in Experiment 1. The endpoints of the A’ class were called anchor (Aa) and
boundary (Ab) stimuli. Likewise, the anchor and boundary stimuli in the B’ class were represented as Ba and Bb.
In Experiment 2, the A’ and B’ classes were linked by the establishment of one of four cross-class conditional
discriminations: Aa→Ba, Aa→Bb, Ab→Ba, or Ab→Bb. Results were greatest after Aa→Bb training, intermediate after
Aa→Ba and Ab→Ba training, and lowest after Ab→Bb training. Class formation was influenced by the interaction of
the anchor/boundary values and the sample/comparison functions of the stimuli used in training. Experiment 3
determined whether class formation was influenced by different sets of two cross-class conditional discriminations:
Aa→Ba and Ab→Bb, or Aa→Bb and Ab→Ba. Both conditions produced equivalent results. Similarities were attributable
to the use of anchor stimuli as samples and boundary stimuli as comparisons in each training condition. Finally,
the results after joint Aa→Ba and Ab→Bb training were much greater than those produced by summing the results of
Aa→Ba training alone and Ab→Bb training alone. This same synergy was not observed after joint Aa→Bb and Ab→Ba
training or either alone.
Key words: linked perceptual classes, conditional discrimination, cross-class probe, stimulus value,
stimulus function, immediate and delayed emergence, keyboard responding, college students