APPLICATION OF A GRADED CHOICE PROCEDURE TO OBTAIN ERRORLESS LEARNING IN CHILDREN

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Abstract
A simultaneous, two-choice color discrimination was carried out with three groups of four- to seven-year-old children. For Groups I and II, the opportunity to respond to the incorrect stimulus was controlled (graded) over three different conditions. First, only a red light (S+) and its retractable bar were presented (16 trials for Group I and 316 trials for Group II). Second, a green light (S—) was added with its correlated bar retracted for 14 trials. Third, 40 trials were given with both stimuli on and their correlated retractable bars extended. The opportunity to respond to S— was not graded for Group III children. They experienced only the third condition applied to Groups I and II. Responses to S+ were reinforced for all three groups, while responses to S— were not. Children in the first two groups made from zero to three responses to S—, while the control children emitted 11 to 46 errors. The results demonstrate that fading in S— or presenting S— early in the training procedure are sufficient, but not necessary conditions for errorless learning.