Criterion of Learning and Task Difficulty as Determinants of Mediated-Shift Learning Speed

Abstract

University students were given rule-related or non-rule-related shifts after one of four levels of initial training on a nondimensional verbal discrimination using CVC stimuli. Both a difficult and an easy task were used. The results indicated: (1) the effects of the initial tasks on the shift tasks were detected with greater sensitivity using lower criteria on the shift task; (2) where mediated-shift learning occurred, there was a relation between criterion level for the initial task and task difficulty such that lower criteria on the easy task were equivalent to higher criteria on the difficult task.