The Differential Outcomes Effect in Normal Human Adults Using a Concurrent-Task Within-Subjects Design And Sensory Outcomes

• Published in: The Psychological record Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 187 - 200
• Main Authors: Mok, Leh Woon, Overmier, J. Bruce
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Psychological Record 01.04.2007; The Association for Behavior Analysis International; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accuracy; Adults; Behavior; Children & youth; College Students; Conditioned response; Demonstrations & protests; Discrimination; Discrimination Learning; Down syndrome; Frozen foods; Hedonism; Learning; Learning Theories; Outcomes of Treatment; Psychological aspects; Responses; Rewards; Sensory Training; Stimuli; Studies; Undergraduate students; United States
• ISSN: 0033-2933; 2163-3452
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03395571

The differential outcomes effect is a phenomenon where use of a choice-unique outcome for each type of correct choice in a conditional discrimination task increases rate of learning and overall accuracy, as compared to the traditional use of a single, common outcome for all types of correct choices. This phenomenon was successfully demonstrated here in college students (p less than 0.05) using differing immediate sensory outcomes rather than the usual rewards that have obvious hedonic values. Further, a unique version of a concurrent-task, within-subjects design, rather than the typical between-subjects design, was employed. Applications of this effect using sensory outcomes in education and training are discussed. Instructions Delivered for the Conditional Discrimination Task after the Identity Matching Test are appended. (Contains 2 figures.)