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Biomedical subjects

A W STAATS

Publications and source records attributed to A W STAATS.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1964

REINFORCEMENT VARIABLES IN THE CONTROL OF UNIT READING RESPONSES.

The present study was concerned with the effects of schedules of reinforcement upon the rate of verbal responding to written material in children. Four multiple schedules were used; multiple CRF-EXT, multiple CRF-VR, multiple CRF-VI, and multiple VR-VI, one subject being run on each schedule. Rates under CRF were lower than under VR, and somewhat higher than under VI, and much higher than under extinction. The subject run on multiple VR-VI showed little rate difference in the two components.

Child↗
PubMed1962

The conditioning of textual responses using "extrinsic" reinforcers.

Six 4-year-old Ss were presented with a textual program consisting of 26 words arranged so the word stimuli were gradually combined into sentences and then short "stories." Three Ss were given the No-Reinforcement condition first, and only social reinforcers were presented. They were switched to the Reinforcement condition as soon as they requested discontinuance of the activity. The other three Ss were given Reinforcement-No Reinforcement-Reinforcement treatments. The No-Reinforcement treatment in this case lasted until S requested discontinuance of the activity. The reinforcers were mixed edibles and trinkets, as well as tokens backed up by small plastic toys on a 1:24 ratio. The unit of response was the number of new texts acquired as a result of each of the 45-min experimental sessions. It was demonstrated that the program, procedure, and reinforcement conditions produced curves which are analogous to those produced in common operant-conditioning procedures. The results indicate that other operant principles may be studied in this significant area of human behavior, with important practical consequences.

Conditioning, Operant↗