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| Additional Measures in Equivalence Class Formation |
| Sunday, September 29, 2019 |
| 11:30 AM–12:20 PM |
| Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, Level 2, Meeting Room 24/25 |
| Area: EAB/EDC; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Erik Arntzen (Oslo and Akershus University College) |
| CE Instructor: Erik Arntzen, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: In the first paper, Arntzen and Bevolden Rustad present an experiment which aimed to study the correspondence between the results on the matching-to-sample test and the sorting test. Twenty-one participants were taught 12 conditional discriminations and tested for the emergence of three 5-member classes. The degree of correspondence in responding on the two types of test formats supports the notion about the usefulness of sorting tests. In second paper, Dunvoll, Arntzen, Elvsåshagen, Hatlestad-Hall, and Malt argue that unrelated stimuli pairs produce a more negative wave line the EEG than the related approximately 400 ms after stimuli presentation (N400 ERP). Five adults with high functioning autism were trained in six conditional discriminations, testing only a third of the trials in a matching to sample (MTS) format. The results show a small negativity in the unrelated stimuli pairs in the frontal and central midline compared to related stimuli pairs. Finally, Aggio, Rezende, Sbrocco, and de Rose argue that the N400 is observed after presentation of two abstract stimuli from different equivalence classes. The authors ask if this effect would be replicated with arbitrary equivalent stimuli in elderly participants. The main findings show that participants had reduced amplitude and longer latency of N400. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): conditional discrimination, EEG, sorting, stimulus equivalence |
| Target Audience: students and researchers |
| Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to know about: sorting tests definition of stimulus equivalence EEG measures |
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| On the Robustness of Consistency Between Scoring on Tests for Emergent Relations and Sorting |
| (Basic Research) |
| ERIK ARNTZEN (Oslo Metropolitan University), Kristiane Rustad (Oslo Metropolitan University) |
| Abstract: The present experiment aimed to study the correspondence between the results on the matching- to-sample test and the sorting test when employing a Many-to-One (MTO) training structure. The present experiment is a systematic replication of earlier findings from Arntzen, Granmo, and Fields (2017) which showed a high correspondence when using the Linear Series (LS) training structure. Twenty-one participants were taught 12 conditional discriminations and tested for the emergence of three 5-member classes. In Group 1, baseline training was followed by two sorting test, two MTS test blocks and finally two sorting tests. In Group 2, baseline training was followed by two MTS test blocks, two sorting test blocks and finally two MTS test blocks. In Group 1, the initial sorting test showed immediate partitioning of three experimenter-defined classes for 7 participants. Four participants showed other patterns of responding. In Group 2, the initial MTS test blocks showed immediate emergence of three equivalence classes for nine participants. One participant showed another pattern of responding. Twenty of the participants showed emergence of the three experimenter-defined classes on the last test block, independent of test format type. Sorting test data showed a 100% correspondence in performance between test blocks on 28 of 32 presented sorting tests. The degree of correspondence in responding on the two types of test formats supports the notion about the usefulness of sorting tests in testing for emergence and maintenance of stimulus classes. In light of these findings, the definition of emergent stimulus classes in sorting tests was discussed and the application of sorting tests. In conclusion, the present experiment extends the knowledge about the robustness of the correspondence between responding on matching-to-sample tests and sorting tests. |
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N400 in Equivalence Class Formation With Participants With Autism Spectrum |
| (Basic Research) |
| GURO DUNVOLL (Oslo and Akershus University Collecge of Applied Sciences), Erik Arntzen (Oslo and Akershus University College), Torbjørn Elvsåshagen (Oslo University Hospital), Christoffer Hatlestad-Hall (CHTD research, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital), Eva Malt (AHUS) |
| Abstract: One of the problems often described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder is the lack of ability to generalize skills from one setting to another. One way to measure generalization is through equivalence class formation, training directly trained relations, and testing for emergent relations. Also, N400, a measure with electroencephalography (EEG) where related and unrelated stimulus pairs are tested can be used. Unrelated stimuli pairs produce a more negative wave line the EEG than the related approximately 400 ms after stimuli presentation. In the current experiment, five adults with high functioning autism participated. They were all trained in six conditional discriminations, testing only a third of the trials in a matching to sample (MTS) format. The rest of the possible emergent relations were tested in a priming procedure including EEG measurements. At the end, a full MTS test was conducted. The results show a small negativity (insignificant) in the unrelated stimuli pairs in the frontal and central midline compared to related stimuli pairs. On the other hand, when looking closer at the individual data there are differences between the participants. This might indicate that ASD should be considered a heterogeneous group with respect to the EEG measures. |
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| Electrophysiological Correlates of Semantic Relations in the Elderly |
| (Basic Research) |
| Natalia Maria Aggio (Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil), Thais Rezende (Federal University of Sao Carlos), Guilherme Sbrocco (Federal University of Sao Carlos), Julio De Rose (Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos), DEISY DE SOUZA (Universidade Federal de São Carlos) |
| Abstract: The N400 ERP is a negative waveform peaking around 400 ms after presentation of a word incompatible with the semantic context. The N400 is also observed after presentation of two abstract stimuli from different equivalence classes. With words or sentences, studies found reduced amplitude and longer latency of N400 for elderly. The present study sought to determine whether this would be replicated with arbitrary equivalent stimuli. Twenty-six individuals aged 60 to 70, without neurocognitive disorders, participated: 15 in Group 1 and 11 in Group 2. Group 1 formed two five-member equivalence classes, each comprising four abstract pictures and an emotional expression (happiness or anger). ERPs were obtained in a subsequent categorization task: after sequential presentation of a pair of abstract pictures, participants indicated whether they were related or not. Group 2 performed only the semantic categorization task, with pairs of actual words, either semantically related or unrelated. Group 1 showed reduced amplitude and longer latency of N400, as expected, together with a robust P600, attributable to the faces’ emotional valence. Partial results with Group 2 show similar trends in the N400, indicating that results of Group 1 were not due to the nature of the stimuli used. |
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