New Learning by Geriatric Subjects

Abstract

The research examined the acquisition level of a new verbal response class by geriatric subjects. Four nursing home residents and five members of a Senior Citizens club served as subjects. The experimenter used " very good " as a contingent reinforcement when the subjects emitted the criterion response—alliteration of the letter " s ". The non-institutionalized subjects manifested a significant increase in the frequency of the response whereas institutionalized subjects did not exhibit a significant increase in the frequency of the response.