EXPOSITION TO MULTIDIMENSIONAL STIMULI AND STIMULUS CONTROL TOPOGRAPHIES

Abstract

Environmental events have several dimensions or elements that may or may not function as discriminative stimuli. The present study verified the influence of time presentation of the multidimensional stimulus on the development of stimulus control. Six children aged from 7 to 9 years old learned to discriminate multidimensional stimuli composed by a shape, a colored background and a pattern of fill. Stimulus duration was varied in the teaching phase in two experimental conditions (1.5s and 3s), using ABA single-subject design, with different stimulus sets. Condition 1.5s increased the training, produced longer stimulus exposure and more errors. Tests programmed to evaluate stimulus control by compound and its elements showed effects of experimental history and stimulus exposure dependent on the context established by stimulus configurations of test trials. Restricted control to one or two elements was related to stimulus exposure during training for three participants. Methodological strategies for monitoring stimulus control topographies provided important information to identify taught and emergent discriminative skills which may be useful in different contexts. Key-words: Multidimensional stimulus discrimination, stimulus exposure amount, stimulus control topographies, children.