THE TRANSFER OF AVOIDANCE EVOKING FUNCTIONS THROUGH STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE CLASSES

Recent research in the area of stimulus equivalence suggests that tran sfer of function via members of stimulus equivalence classes may have relevance to human emotional responding and the development and genera lization of certain psychological disorders. This study investigated t he transfer of avoidance evoking functions through equivalence classes . Eight subjects were trained in the necessary relations for two-four member stimulus equivalence classes to emerge. Next using an on-baseli ne classical conditioning procedure, one member of one class was paire d with shock while one member of the other class was presented without shock. Then, while subjects engaged a key-press task, a differential, signalled avoidance task was introduced wherein shack was avoided if a response occurred to the stimulus previously associated with shock. The remaining stimuli from both classes were then presented. The behav ior of all eight subjects showed the differential transfer of the avoi dance evoking function. The clinical and theoretical implications of t he results are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.