Increased Knowledge about Eye Movements. A Systematical Manipulation of Training Directionality in Matching-to-Sample Tasks
Doctoral thesis, Peer reviewed
Published version
![Thumbnail](/oda-xmlui/bitstream/handle/10642/5278/A-17-5-Hansen-HF.pdf.jpg?sequence=7&isAllowed=y)
View/ Open
Date
2017Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
Abstract
The purpose of the first study was to operationalize eye-movement behavior during
conditional discrimination training and testing for equivalence class formation and,
furthermore, to provide a conceptual systematic framework on visual perception from a
behavior analytic viewpoint. Based on influential publications on the observing response
and on eye-fixations, we offer a conceptual distinction between fixating, attending, and
observing—towards visual perception. Basically, (a) ocular observing responses occur
with and without clear-cut eye-fixation; and (b) ocular observing responses are contextspecific,
hence, vary across behaviors, settings, and individuals. In behavioral research,
fixation measures such as time, rate, number, and pattern have profound implications as
they reveal important information about eye-movement behavior during the response
delay. In study 2, we explored the differential effects of training structures on fixation
time and fixation rate during the formation of six 3-member equivalence classes—
prepared in a serialized training arrangement. Within-subject designed, nine universitycollege
students participated in the study. Results showed that one of three participants,
prepared with MTO, OTM and LS, respectively, responded in accordance with stimulus
equivalence. Further, participants who formed equivalence classes revealed longer
fixations to sample stimuli and shorter fixation durations to comparison stimuli.
Participants fixated both longer and more often at correct comparison stimuli, regardless
of equivalence class formation. In study 3, the purpose was to systematically replicate
study 2, that is, to explore the differential outcomes in fixation time and fixation rate
during the formation of five 3-member stimulus equivalence classes—this time
introduced in a group design and a more solid, concurrent training format. Thirty
university-college students participated and results replicated findings from study 2:
Participants who formed equivalence classes revealed in general longer fixation times to
sample stimuli during training and longer fixation times and fixation rates to correct
comparison stimuli, regardless of demonstrating equivalence class formation. In addition,
fixation rate during training and testing was noteworthy higher for participants prepared
with the MTO structure.