STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE AND SELECTION-BASED COMMUNICATION

该项目将激励控制技术应用于基本问题。 在教有严重学习困难的人联系单词时 以及对在基于选择的通信中使用的图形符号的引用 (SBC)系统。总体目标是发展有成效的、高效率的 这种刺激之间的关系的评估和教学方法 以开发刺激等效类。我们认为这些 努力支持正在进行的SBC培训中的应用研究 难教的人。积极的结果将会有理论上的 也有影响：它们将提供第一个演示 坦率地说，非语言人类的刺激等价性。我们的研究样本 由有严重学习困难的学生组成，他们既没有 功能健全的发声能力和良好的动作和模仿技能 学习手动签名，但谁可以通过选择 用于指示选择、需求、注释和问题的图形符号。 干预研究表明，SBC系统(即通信 书籍、电路板和电子设备)可以起到同样有效的作用 为许多个人提供通信输出模式和教学工具 患有智力障碍和自闭症。那些学习最严格的人 然而，困难往往不会对教他们的努力做出回应 符号和文字可以代替指代的传统方法。 项目6采用关系学习的方法来解决这个关键问题。 项目6将利用技术发展的优势来研究 教授符号、指代和符号之间关系的几个步骤 说出来的话。我们的研究使用实验室验证的刺激控制 排除和刺激匹配样本(MTS)等程序 控制塑造以教授构成的刺激之间的关系 功能性SBC词汇表项目。这些程序与 技术创新，以实现丰富的计算机模拟 初级SBC训练。这里要探讨的技术包括 计算机化演示：(1)高质量的运动视频、动画、 和扫描的照片；(2)记录人类语音。我们还将 评估从结构化训练情景到符号使用的迁移 用来记录人类的语音。我们还将评估从 使用符号进行交流的结构化培训情况 不那么有条理的日常情况。项目6的具体目标是： (1)评估常用刺激集合的可区分性 在SBC系统中；(2)对输入符号匹配指令集进行分析 我们的严重学习困难个人样本；(3) 探讨符号与指称关系的教学方法 将训练中发生错误的概率降至最低，并产生 符号对所指的功能可替换性。(4)审查 合成语音输出在口语初始发展中的作用 单词/符号/所指关系；(5)探索开发新技术 快速建立口语词汇/符号关系；(6)运用刺激对等 对用户的刺激等价类扩展的分析 SBC系统；以及(7)检查语言之间的关系 理解和掌握基本的SBC技能。

This project applies stimulus control technology to fundamental problems in teaching individuals with severe learning difficulties to relate words and referents to graphic symbols for use in selection-based communication (SBC) systems. The overall goal is to develop effective, efficient methods for assessing and teaching relations among such stimuli, leading to the development of stimulus equivalence classes. We view these efforts as supporting ongoing applied research in SBC training for difficult-to-teach individuals. Positive outcomes will have theoretical implications as well: They will provide the first demonstration of stimulus equivalence in frankly nonverbal humans. Our study sample comprises students with severe learning difficulties who lack both functional vocal speech and the fine motor and imitation skills necessary to learn manual signing, but who could learn to communicate by selecting graphic symbols to indicate choices, needs, comments, and questions. Intervention studies have shown that SBC systems (i.e., communication books, boards, and electronic devices) can function as effective communication output modes as well as teaching tools for many individuals with mental retardation and autism. Those with the most severe learning difficulties, however, often do not respond to efforts to teach them by conventional methods that symbols and words can substitute for referents. Project 6 takes a relational learning approach to this critical problem. Project 6 will take advantage of technological developments to study several procedures for teaching relations among symbols, referents, and spoken words. Our studies use laboratory-validated stimulus control procedures such as match-to-sample (MTS) with exclusion and stimulus control shaping to teach relations among stimuli that constitute functional SBC vocabulary items. These procedures are combined with technological innovations to enable rich computer simulations of rudimentary SBC training. Techniques to be explored here include computerized presentations of: (1) high-quality motion video, animation, and scanned photographs; (2) recorded human speech. We will also evaluate transfer from structured training situations to use of symbols for recorded human speech. We will also evaluate transfer from structured training situations to use of symbols for communication in less structured, everyday situations. Specific Aims of Project 6 are to: (1) assess the discriminability of sets of stimuli that are commonly used in SBC systems; (2) analyze the entering symbol matching repertoires of our samples of individuals with severe learning difficulties; (3) investigate methods for teaching relations between symbols and referents that minimize the probability of errors occurring in training, and result in functional substitutability of symbols for referents. (4) examine the function of synthetic speech output in the initial development of spoken word/symbol/referent relations; (5) explore techniques for developing new spoken word/symbol relations rapidly; (6) apply stimulus equivalence analyses to the expansion of stimulus equivalence classes for users of SBC systems; and (7) examine the relationship between language comprehension and acquisition of rudimentary SBC skills.