Experimenter and Subject Variables in Verbal Conditioning

Abstract

4 experimenter variables, sex, previous experience, neuroticism and extraversion, and 2 subject variables, sex and anxiety, were studied in a verbal conditioning task (12 Es and 96 Ss). Reinforced Ss performed at a higher level than nonreinforced Ss, especially when Ss were low-anxious. Ss of low-neurotic Es were superior to those of high-neurotic Es, particularly female Ss. E's extraversion was positively correlated with S's performance, especially when interacting with reinforcement. Nonsignificant main effects included sex of E, sex of S, and previous experience of E.