Date of Award
6-1-2006
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine whether it was possible to condition arbitrary stimuli to obese and thin stimuli, and to see if this conditioning history would result in a transfer of bias functions to arbitrarily related stimuli. Specifically, participants were conditioned to pair obese and thin stimuli to two additional sets of arbitrary stimulus classes via a Matching-to-sample preparation. Results of these conditioning processes were tested on the Implicit Association Test. These results showed that when participants met the training criterion, the bias functions of obese/thin stimuli successfully transferred to the arbitrary stimuli. The magnitude of the effect was the same for measures of both latency and fluency. These results were consistent with the predictions of the experimental hypothesis, principally, it is possible using a very brief conditioning history to effect a transfer of bias functions to wholly arbitrary stimuli. A clearer conceptualization of the development of stigmatizing categories, particularly as it applies to obesity, might yield important insights into the social context that cultivates and maintains stigmatizing attitudes.
Recommended Citation
Weinstein, Jonathan H., "A behavior analytic contribution to theories of social categorization" (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3495.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3495