Master's Theses

Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to test an interpretation of Gibson's hypothesis relating to stimulus differentiation. Verbal learning was utilized, with an attempt to control intralist stimulus differentiation through the manipulation of the physical properties of the stimuli themselves. It was hypothesized that physical discrimination would facilitate verbal learning. The results showed mean number of errors to be significantly related to meaningfulness, with more mean errors per trial in the low meaningfulness lists than in the high. The other results were generally not significant: however, the trends indicated that learning was faster in both the case of high meaning and in the case of physical discriminability, and that physical discriminability produced a greater difference in the low meaningfulness condition than in the high. The trends, although not significant, seem generally to support the experimental hypothesis. Further experimentation in the area of physical stimulus differentiation is suggested.

Keywords

Students, Fort Hays State University, Intelligence testing, Verbal ability, Discrimination, Cognitive function, Cognitive testing, Mental states, Psychology

Advisor

R. Dale Dick

Date of Award

Summer 1965

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

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