Stimulus generalization of behavioral history

Abstract

Undergraduates responded under a variable-ratio 30 schedule in the presence of a 25-mm long line and on a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 6-s schedule when a 13-mm long line was present. Following this, a line-length continuum generalization test was administered under a fixed-interval 6-s schedule (Experiment 1) or extinction (Experiment 2). In both experiments, obtained generalization gradients conformed to typical postdiscrimination gradients. Responses were frequent under stimuli physically similar to the 25-mm line and infrequent under stimuli physically similar to the 13-mm line. The generalization gradients were generally asymmetric with peak response rates occurring at line lengths greater than 25 mm.