The effect of dimensional preference and discrimination set on consecutive shift learning

Kindergartners were employed to examine the effect of dimensional preference and discrimination sets on consecutive intradimensional (ID), and extradimensional (ED) shifts. Following dimensional preference assessment, discrimination shift problems were given to only form-preferd subjects. ID became gradually easier from the original learning to the step 2 problem, whereas ED became more difficult from the original learning to the step 1 problem and then easier from step 1 to step 2. The difference between ID and ED shifts was significant both on step 1 and step 2. ID shifts on their preferred dimension became easier from the original to step 1, whereas ID shifts on their nonpreferred dimension became gradually easier from the original to step 2, and the difference between the former and the latter was not significant except for the step 2 problem. From these findings, it was suggested that dimensional preference plays an important role as a mediator in kindergartners and dimensional preference may be important before the acquisition of general discrimination sets.