SHIFTS IN ASSOCIATIVE HIERARCHIES OVER TIME AS A FUNCTION OF PAIRED-ASSOCIATE TRAINING

In Stage 1, individual response hierarchies were assessed by obtaining eight responses to each of eight stimulus words. In experimental conditions, Stage-2 PA training consisted of learning the stimulus words paired with the respective sixth response (R6) from each of the hierarchies. Control conditions involved stimulus and response words which had not previously appeared in the experiment. The response hierarchies of the eight stimulus words were reassessed (Stage 3) at four time intervals after PA training. The results indicate R6 repetitions increased after PA training. Repetition of responses in Stage 3 also tended to increase as Stage-1 hierarchy position (HP) varied from HP8 to HP1. In addition, the R6 responses showed significant upward shifts in HP after PA training. There was some evidence that time influenced the degree of R6 shift, with maximum upward shift occurring when Stage 3 occurred immediately after PA training. © 1968 Academic Press Inc.