Ethical self-control is conceived of as self-controlled responding under concurrent contingencies involving (conflicts of) consequences for the individual, and consequences for the group. The study assessed the production of ethical self-control repertoires in laboratory microcultures under four different macrocontingency arrangements. The experiment was held with eleven groups of four college students each. They were exposed to a task that required a choice of odd or even rows in an 8x8 matrix. Odd rows produced higher individual reinforcements and delayed aversive consequences for the group, thus being labeled impulsive selfish choices; even rows produced lower reinforcements for the individual participant, but positive delayed consequences for the group, thus labeled ethical selfcontrolled choices. Each group was exposed to only one condition. In the first condition, each participant was exposed alone to the task, producing high rates of impulsive selfish choices. In the second condition, the four participants were exposed to the task together, with access to one another's choices and being allowed to talk. The result was a high rate of ethical self-controlled choices. In the third condition, participants were exposed to the task together, could talk, but had no direct access to each other´s choices, which also resulted in a high rate of ethical self-controlled choices. In the fourth condition, participants were exposed to the task together, but could not talk, and had no access to each other´s choices. Results from this experiment show a higher rate of impulsive selfish choices. The data on the four conditions suggest that the possibility of verbal interaction has more effect on the emergence of ethical selfcontrolled responses than access to each other´s responses.

Experiments about the effects of cultural consequences (CCs) upon culturants (IBCs+APs) suggest an important role of two specific variables: competition between operant contingencies and metacontingencies, and the antecedent and consequent verbal events to the participants' behavior. The present study manipulated the presentation of verbal (VCCs) and non-verbal (NVCCs) cultural consequences, examining their effects on culturants under conditions of competition and no competition between operant contingencies and metacontingencies. One hundred and twenty-three college students composed four microcultures. We programmed two microcultures with an ABABCD design and two microcultures with a BABACD format. Competition and noncompetition between operant contingencies and metacontingencies were also manipulated. In Condition A verbal and nonverbal cultural consequences were contingent on target culturants; in Condition B there were only nonverbal cultural consequences; in Condition C only verbal cultural consequences were presented; and in Condition D there was no cultural consequence programmed. Microcultures with no competition exhibited more stable rates of target

RESUMOMetacontingências descrevem relações funcionais entre contingências comportamentais entrelaçadas com seus produtos agregados e consequências culturais. O presente estudo investigou os efeitos de consequências culturais na seleção, manutenção e transmissão de duas práticas culturais alternadas. Estudantes universitários foram expostos a um delineamento ABABC, em que nas condições A e B vigoraram metacontingências distintas e na C houve suspensão de consequências culturais. Foram utilizadas consequências individuais e culturais de naturezas diferentes. Os resultados indicaram seleção de práticas culturais na segunda exposição a cada condição (A e B). Esses dados são discutidos considerando-se a quantidade de exposição às metacontingências e a probabilidade de ocorrência das contingências comportamentais entrelaçadas e seus produtos agregados descritos em cada metacontingência.Palavras-chave: seleção cultural, transmissão cultural, metacontingência. ABSTRACTMetacontingencies describe functional relations among interlocked behavioral contingencies, their aggregated products and cultural consequences. The present study investigated the effects of cultural consequences on the selection, maintenance and transmission of two alternating cultural practices. Undergraduate students were exposed to an ABABC experimental design, in which in conditions A and B different metacontingencies were operating and in C the cultural consequence was suspended. The individual and cultural consequences used were different in nature. The results showed the selection of the target cultural practices in the second exposures to the conditions (A and B). These data are discussed considering the amount of exposure to the metacontingencies and the probability of occurrence of the interlocking behavioral contingencies and their aggregated products described in each metacontingency.

IntroductionThe term “sexual minority” includes a variety of gender and sexual identities and expressions that differ from cultural norms. Usually, sexual minorities are comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.Objectives/aimsDefinition of the correct terminology for sexual orientation, sexual behaviors, gender identity, gender expression and gender dysphoria.MethodsLiterature review concerning researched articles published in Pubmed/Medline as well as related bibliography.ResultsHuman sexuality is a broad concept that embodies interaction among anatomy, hormones, physiology, psychology, interpersonal relationships and sociocultural influences.Healthcare providers can support sexual minorities by normalizing sexuality throughout childhood, early identification of gender or sexual orientation nonconformity and associated psychosocial and health concerns, helping parents support their child, assisting with decisions about disclosure and providing educational resources to the community.ConclusionsThis work focuses on providing more awareness about this topic and reducing stigma associated with sexual minorities.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The aim of this paper is to examine specific features of modern individualistic societies that contribute to "emotions" and "cognitions" becoming a matter of privacy. Although some behavior analysts identify emotions and cognitions as "private events," we argue with Skinner (1945) that cognitions and emotions are relations among events and that their origin is in public events in the contingencies of reinforcement maintained by other people. Guided by Elias (1939/1996), we suggest that the shift from feudal economies to market economies involved the increasing individualization of society's members. This individualizing process includes the socially maintained contingencies that bring some verbal responses under control of private stimulation and reduce the magnitude of some verbal responses to a covert level. Behavioral relations in which either stimuli or responses (or both) cannot be observed by others set the stage for a concept of "privacy." Changes in societal contingencies that gave rise to individualization and the attribution of privacy to cognitions and emotions are suggested to include the following: (a) increasing frequency of individual consequences that have no apparent or direct relevance to the group; (b) increasing numbers of concurrent contingencies and choice requirements; (c) conflicts between immediate and delayed consequences for the individual; and (d) conflicts between consequences for the individual and for the group.

EMMANUEL ZAGURY TOURINHO UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARÁ, BRASIL RESUMO Neste trabalho examinamos os efeitos de consequências culturais (CCs) intermitentes em análogos de FR2, FR3, VR2 e VR3 sobre a seleção de CCEs+PAs. Vinte de sete participantes compuseram a microcultura FR e vinte e cinco a microcultura VR, cada uma com três participantes sendo substituídos a cada 20 ciclos. Os participantes foram expostos a uma matriz 10x10, com linhas de cinco cores diferentes. A tarefa consistia de escolhas de linhas da matriz. As consequências individuais (CIs) consistiram de fichas trocáveis por dinheiro e as CCs de itens escolares para doação posterior a uma escola pública. Os resultados indicaram seleção de CCEs+PAs em todas as condições, replicando e estendendo achados sobre seleção cultural em esquemas intermitentes.Palavras-chave: seleção cultural, metacontingências, contingências comportamentais entrelaçadas, consequências culturais intermitentes. ABSTRACTWe examined the effects of intermittent cultural consequences (CCs), in conditions analogous to FR2, FR3, VR2, and VR3 on the selection of IBCs+APs. Twenty-seven participants took part in a FR microculture, and twenty-five took part in a VR microculture, each one with three participants being substituted each 20 rounds. Participants were exposed to a 10x10 matrix, with rows of five different colors. The task consisted of choosing rows in the matrix. Individual consequences (ICs) consisted of tokens exchangeable for money, while CCs consisted of stamps exchangeable for school items that were donated to a public school. Results show the selection of IBCs+APs under all conditions, replicating and expanding data found in the literature on cultural selection under intermittent schedules.

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