Two experiments were conducted in an attempt to replicate the findings
of Touchette's classic 1971 experiment. The results obtained were mor
e variable than those obtained by Touchette. Four of 34 subjects learn
ed the Horizontal E discrimination without errors. Ten subjects preemp
ted the red prompt stimulus erroneously. Twelve subjects failed to pre
empt. Among those who failed to preempt, at least six had not learned
the target discrimination. There were also five subjects who failed to
preempt who, on subsequent tests, demonstrated that they had learned
the target discrimination. For these subjects, the onset of the prompt
appeared to grant ''permission to respond.'' An attempt is made to ac
count for the differences in the current results and those of Touchett
e (1971). We also compare our results to the usually successful applic
ation of the delayed prompt to education and training problems. We not
e that the procedures used in these successful applications are often
quite different from those in the original Touchette experiment and ou
r own.