Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Sarah A. Lechago

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Psychology

Title: Overcoming Functional Independence: The Effects of Multiple Exemplar Instruction in Generating Functional Interdependence between Listener and Intraverbal Categorization Repertoires

Committee:
Dr. Cynthia Pietras, Chair
Dr. Scott Gaynor
Dr. James Carr
Dr. Anna Petursdottir

Date: Monday, May 4, 2009 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
1509 Wood Hall

Abstract:
The results of this study extend the literature on multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) by demonstrating that MEI is not effective in producing functional interdependence between listener and intraverbal categorization repertoires. Four typically developing children, between the ages of 3 years, 11 months and 4 years, 7 months, participate in the study in which two categorization types (listener and intraverbal) are targeted. Previous research demonstrates functional independence between these two categorization response forms (Petursdottir, Carr, Lechago, & Almason, 2008). This study examines the efficacy of MEI in the form of alternating categorization response forms (listener and intraverbal) in producing emergent intraverbal categorization responding after training listener categorization responses. For two participants, for whom there was some evidence of functional interdependence between listener and intraverbal categorization repertoires, responding is variable. For the remaining two participants, 72-100 MEI training trials produce a minimal boost in responding or no functional interdependence at all.