Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-b6zl4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-07T19:15:51.598Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Component Model for Stimulus Variables in Discrimination Learning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

C. J. Burke  and
W. K. Estes
C. J. Burke
Affiliation:
Indiana University
W. K. Estes
Affiliation:
Indiana University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A general function is derived describing the conditioning of a single stimulus component in a discriminative situation. This function, together with the combinatorial rules of statistical learning theory [5, 12], generates empirically testable formulas for learning of classical two-alternative discriminations, probabilistic discriminations, and discriminations based on the outcomes of preceding trials in partial reinforcement experiments.

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , June 1957 , pp. 133 - 145
Copyright
Copyright © 1957 Psychometric Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

The researches on which this paper is based were facilitated by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

†

By “determinate, non-contingent reinforcement” we mean that exactly one pre-designated reinforcing event occurs on each trial and that the probabilities of reinforcing events are not conditional upon the subjects’ responses.

References

Burke, C. J., Estes, W. K., and Hellyer, S. Rate of verbal conditioning in relation to stimulus variability. J. exp. Psychol., 1954, 48, 153–161CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bush, R. R. and Mosteller, F. A model for stimulus generalization and discrimination. Psychol. Rev., 1951, 58, 413–423CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Estes, W. K. Learning. Annual review of psychology, 1956, 7, 1–38CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Estes, W. K. Theory of learning with constant, variable, or contingent probabilities of reinforcement. Psychometrika, 1957, 22, 113–132CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Estes, W. K. and Burke, C. J. A theory of stimulus variability in learning. Psychol. Rev., 1953, 60, 276–286CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Estes, W. K. and Burke, C. J. Application of a statistical model to simple discrimination learning in human subjects. J. exp. Psychol., 1955, 50, 81–88CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Estes, W. K., Burke, C. J., Atkinson, R. C., and Frankmann, J. P. Probabilistic discrimination learning. J. exp. Psychol., 1957, in press.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Estes, W. K., and Straughan, J. H. Analysis of a verbal conditioning situation in terms of statistical learning theory. J. exp. Psychol., 1954, 47, 225–234CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hake, H. W. and Hyman, R. Perception of the statistical structure of a random series of binary symbols. J. exp. Psychol., 1953, 45, 64–74CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neimark, Edith D. Effects of type of non-reinforcement and number of alternative responses in two verbal conditioning situations. J. exp. Psychol., 1956, 52, 209–220CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Restle, F. A theory of discrimination learning. Psychol. Rev., 1955, 62, 11–19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoeffler, M. S. Probability of response to compounds of discriminated stimuli. J. exp. Psychol., 1954, 48, 323–329CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wyckoff, L. B. Jr. The role of observing responses in discrimination learning. Psychol. Rev., 1952, 59, 431–442CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed