Derived rule-following and transformations of stimulus function in a children's game: An application of PEAK-E with children with developmental disabilities

Derived relational responding in traditional match-to-sample tasks has been well documented in the behavioral scientific literature utilizing children with developmental disabilities, but less is known regarding derived rule-following and corresponding transformations of stimulus function. The present study evaluated the efficacy of the sequential delivery of rules on children's mutual entailment of synonymous anatomical terms, as well as the transformation of stimulus function in the context of a common board game (i.e., Twister). The results of the study suggest that rule statements in the form of “x is the same as y” and “y is the same as z,” where x was a known anatomical term and y and z were unknown synonymous anatomical terms, improved participant game performance when synonymous anatomical terms (z) were used. The results expand upon existing research by demonstrating derived rule-following and the transformation of stimulus function with a little researched population.