Disjunctive Concept Formation: S-R Hypothesis Versus Cognitive Theory

Summary

The present study investigated the learning of disjunctive concepts under different postfeedback conditions in order to test opposing S-R associational and hypothesis-testing theories. A reception paradigm was employed which involved the use of three types of postfeedback intervals and four different postfeedback interval lengths, with 180 college men and women. The results, overall, supported predictions based upon S-R associational theory, as leaning processes occurred on all trials and not just on trials in which an error occurred.