The long-term retention of generalized equivalence glasses

This experiment examined the retention of generalized equivalence classes. Seventeen subjects completed matching-to-sample training, in which two-elem ent stimulus compounds were presented as sample stimuli, and an equivalence test, in which those compounds were separated and each element was tested separately for its entry into equivalence relations with the other stimuli. A generalization test was then conducted, in which dimensional variants (a long the dimension of hue) of one member of each class were presented as sa mple stimuli on test trials for two generalized symmetry relations and one generalized equivalence relation. Equivalence and generalization retention tests were conducted for 8 subjects 2-3 months following their initial labo ratory session. This experiment also employed a verbal protocol analysis, i n which subjects' overt verbal behavior was recorded during both experiment al sessions and examined in light of subjects' performances. More subjects demonstrated the retention of symmetry relations than within-compound or eq uivalence relations, and all subjects who showed the maintenance of equival ence and within-compound relations also showed the maintenance of symmetry relations. Generalized classes were shown to have remained stable over time for some subjects, while other subjects demonstrated the emergence of subj ect-defined generalized classes during the generalization retention test. V erbal protocol analyses showed that all subjects emitted a relatively great er frequency of verbal descriptions of stimulus relations under extinction testing situations than during training, and class-consistent names for gen eralized class-members appeared to be likely, but not necessary for the gen eralization of class membership.