EFFECTS OF A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT AND TYPE OF CONSEQUENCES ON SIMPLE DISCRIMINATION LEARNING BY PRESCHOOLERS

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effects of a virtual environment and the type of consequences for correct responses, on learning process of visual simple discriminations and reversals, and on the maintenance of preschool children in experimental situation. The virtual environment was a dynamic scenario presented on the computer screen, which simulated a forest with trees, on which the stimuli were presented. Experiments 1 and 2 compared the effects of Conditions A and B. Both conditions used the virtual environment, however, the consequence for correct responses were cartoon videos in Condition A, and an auditory visual animation with stars in Condition B. The results indicated that using videos as consequences for correct responses produced errorless and maintained children committed in experimental situation. Experiment 3 compared effects of Conditions A and C. Both conditions used videos as consequences for correct responses; however, in Condition A the scenario was the virtual environment, while in Condition C it was a white static background. The results indicated that the scenarios did not produced differential effects on variables considered dependents. Together, the results indicated that the type of consequences were more decisive on producing learning than the virtual environment. Keywords: virtual environment, reinforcement, simple discrimination, discrimination reversal, children.