An experimental safe-road-crossing-interval discriminating training procedure based on cine materials and a counter- conditioning reinforcement procedure for correct and incorrect responses was tested by application to the total population (339) of a suburban melbourne primary school. In comparison with simple repetition of the discrimination task, subjects receiving information feedback by display of the consequences of incorrect judgements and symbolic confirmation of correct responses performed significantly better in post training responses to test films. However, the advantage of the feedback group was to a large extent a function of post training deficits in the performance of the non-feedback groups and an unusual gain in performance of second grade students to which sampling errors probably contributed. Significant gains for informational feedback training across test periods for a small control sample of sixth grade boys tested individually, however, suggest that control of test conditions was an important factor. It is felt that the training concept should be re-evaluated by a small scale repetition of the experiment with carefully controlled test conditions. In addition, the analysis shows that the procedure has a potential diagnostic value for identifying unsafe road crossing judgements and specifying a remedial course of instructions. Improvements both in materials and procedures are indicated.
Abstract