The influence of instructions on the ajustment of scales

Abstract

In each of three experiments, one group of subjects first judged the eight largest and another group first judged the eight smallest of a graded series of 16 squares according to size. After four blocks of trials, both groups were shifted to the total series. The subjects changed their scales only slightly when no specific instructions were given at the point of shift (Experiment 1). They were able to maintain their old scales or construct new ones, if instructed to do so (Experiment 2). They were also able to do both things in parallel (Experiment 3). An additional finding was that responses to the "old" stimuli (those being part of the training series) were slower than responses to the "new" ones (those introduced after the shift), independently by of instructions. Furthermore, responses to the old stimuli were faster when these had to be rated on the new scale, and responses to the new stimuli were faster when these had to be rated on the old scale. The findings are interpreted as supporting a conditioning theory of judgment.