Substitutional mediation in matching to sample with words: comparison between children and adults

Abstract

Children and adults were trained with three procedures of conditional discrimina­tion in a computerized matching to sample task with words, in order to assess the level of mediation generated by them. Matching was done on the basis of color, size of letters, semantic equivalence and semantic inclusion. Three procedures were used: choice of comparative instances (Scom), choice of relations (Ssor) and choice of sample instances (Ss); subjects passed through all of them according to a latin square designo Tests of concurrent choice of Ssor, Scom and Ss were used for the transference phases, before, during and after training. In general all subjects scored higher with synonymy; children scored low both in acquisition and intramodal transference, while adults showed high scores for semantic matches; extramodal transference was null for children and high for adults in synonyms. Choice of relations produced the highest scores for physical matches with both children and adults. Order of exposure did not affect children's performance in a significant way, while adults scored slight1y better with initial exposure to choice of comparative instances. Children preferred physical matches, in spíte of rating higher for synonyms, on the other hand adults preferred synonyms. Latencies for synonyms were the shortes in adults; while children did not show differential latencies. Types of me­diation are discussed in terms of differences among procedures, differences in level of detachment implied in learning physical and semantical matches and differences in verbal competence.